The Redbud Community Play Reading Series is a free monthly reading series in which community members and theatre professionals share in the joy of reading plays aloud together.
These unrehearsed readings offer opportunities to appreciate plays written by local playwrights and IU alums, and established plays we may not otherwise be exposed to.
This month’s reading is . . .
GRETTY GOOD TIME by John Belluso
“Parapalegic Gretty’s feisty and warm nature makes her a popular patient in her nursing home. But without family or money, Gretty faces the threat of being sent away to a state institution. Soon she will be unable to function on her own, and she begins to contemplate assisted suicide to maintain her dignity. Perhaps the support of a new young doctor, an eccentric fellow patient, and an imagined guest on her favorite TV show, can show Gretty the possibilities of leading a life of joy and hope.”
John Belluso’s plays include: The Poor Itch (produced by The Public Theatre), A Nervous Smile (produced by the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Humana Festival of New Plays), The Body of Bourne (produced by the Mark Taper Forum), Henry Flamethrowa (produced by Trinity Repertory Company, Victory Gardens Theatre and Studio Dante), The Rules of Charity (produced by the Magic Theatre), Body Songs, created with legendary theatre director Joseph Chaikin (Eugene O’Neill Center/NPC, workshopped at the NYSF/Public Theater), Traveling Skin, and Gretty Good Time (produced by the Ensemble Studio Theatre, Perishable Theatre, Falcon Theatre, and by VSA arts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts). Awards and Honors include a National Endowment for the Arts/Theatre Communications Group Playwright-in-Residence Grant for a residency at the Atlantic Theatre in New York, the AT&T On-Stage Award, the Mark Taper Forum’s Sherwood Award, the VSA arts Playwright Discovery Award as well as grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Berrilla Kerr Foundation Award and honorable mention for the Kesselring Prize. In addition, from 1999 to 2002, he served as Co-Director and from 2002-2005 as Director of the Mark Taper Forum’s Other Voices Project for Disabled Theatre Artists — one of the nation’s only professional developmental labs for theatre artists with disabilities. Mr. Belluso received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts Dramatic Writing Program where he studied with Tony Kushner, John Guare, Tina Howe, and Eve Ensler, among others.
Interested in performing?
Fill out this form and we’ll do our best to incorporate you into future readings!
“[this series] pairs playwrights, actors and audience in a casual group setting that encourages engaging conversations. As a local playwright it can be difficult to find places to share my work within Bloomington. This play reading series has helped to fill that need in the community.”
-Brennen Edwards, local playwright
Performers from the reading of ‘a profoundly affectionate passionate devotion to someone; noun’ by debbie tucker green 
Friends enjoying homemade sancocho at the play reading of ‘Sancocho’ by Christin Eve Cato 
Homemade sancocho for the ‘Sancocho’ reading! 
Performers from the reading of ‘Sancocho’ by Christin Eve Cato 
Performers from the reading of ‘Tragedy: A Tragedy’ 
Performers from the reading of ‘Tragedy: A Tragedy’ 
Audience from the reading of Brennen Edwards’ The Dead Pets Club. 
Performers from the reading of Minotaur by Caridad Svich 
The playwright and actors from Nicole DeSalle’s The Mudlark’s Guide to Find-Worthy Finds
Want to learn more? Email playreading@redbudbooks.org with your questions
This programming is supported by a City of Bloomington Arts Commission Arts Project Grant and a Psi Iota Xi Thrift Shop Grant.
