Battersea playwright Michael Ross is a finalist at the Samuel French 42nd Annual Off-Off Broadway Festival (OOB) in New York City this Summer.

His play 'Eyes Full of Pornography' has been selected from 1,000 entries and will be presented on August 8th at the East 13th Street Theater (Classic Stage Company, 136 East 13th Street, NYC).

It is one of 30 plays presented during the week-long event. At the end of the festival, Samuel French’s editorial staff will select six titles for publication and licensing.

'Eyes Full of Pornography' is a dark comedy about a religious cult which targets vulnerable young gay men and aims to convert them. It was originally staged at Battersea's Theatre 503 in 2010. This new version has been relocated to Greenwich Village in New York. Michael's previous plays include 'Happy To Help' which was produced at the Park Theatre, London, in 2016. 

Originating in 1975, the OOB Festival is New York’s oldest, continuous short play festival and has attracted submissions from across the U.S. as well as Australia, Canada, Singapore, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

The OOB Festival is unique in that it requires applicants to collaborate with a producing organization or to self-produce their work. The winning plays are published in Samuel French’s acclaimed OFF OFF BROADWAY FESTIVAL PLAYS series and licensed to theatre producers around the world. 

The OOB Festival week consists of eight performance sessions in which three or four scripts are presented in front of a judging panel comprised of theatre industry professionals, including artistic directors and major playwrights. At the end of each session, the judges deliberate and select one or two plays to move on to the OOB Festival Finals.

The 42nd Annual Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival will run August 8-12 at the East 13th Street Theater (Classic Stage Company, 136 East 13th Street, NYC). 
For tickets and more information visit www.oobfestival.com.

Samuel French is the world’s leading publisher and licensor of plays and musicals. The company’s catalogue features some of the most acclaimed work ever written for the stage and titles by writers at the forefront of contemporary drama.

Samuel French is proud to have served as a leader in theatrical publishing and licensing for over 180 years and is committed to the future by championing for playwrights, and celebrating all those who make theatre around the world.

Article supplied by Michael Ross