Gorilla Theatre Productions will present the winner of its 2001 Inaugural Dramatists Festival, "To Die for Want of Lobster" by Kato McNickle, at the Just Off Broadway Theatre in Penn Valley Park. The production is intended for mature audiences.
"To Die for Want of Lobster" concerns a brother and sister whose lives are invaded by a seductive, manipulative femme fatale. This sexy and sometimes violent black comedy explores areas of trust, honesty, and the power struggles within relationships. The cast includes Lesley Baker, Susan Glennemeier, and Bryan Colley, and is directed by Tara Varney.
Playwright Kato McNickle lives in Connecticut where she staged a workshop production of "To Die for Want of Lobster" prior to submitting it to Gorilla Theatre's contest. McNickle is employed the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. She has written 16 plays as well as directed, produced, and taught at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center.
Gorilla Theatre has awarded an annual $100 prize to the best contest entry since 1996 and presented full productions of the winning plays the following year, including "Halloween" by Whitney Platt, "Gangs" by Felicia Londre, "The Great F.O.R.D. Debate" by Mark Riggs, "The Southern Man" by Martin English, "The Feast" by Bryan Colley, "Land's End" by Gary Carden, and "Death As Usual" by Brendon O'Neill. "To Die for Want of Lobster" was given staged readings in local coffeehouses in the fall of 2001 along with two other finalists. The contest is open to all unpublished plays. Finalists and readings for this years contest will be announced soon.