The CalArts School of Theater presents the workshop of Amy Tofte’s 'Farm Noir'

The CalArts School of Theater presents the workshop of Amy Tofte's Farm Noir, directed by David Watkins, Jr.   Performances are Friday, November 13, at 8 p.m., Saturday, November 14 at 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. and Monday, November 16, at 8 p.m.  All performances are in Butler Building 2 on CalArts’ campus.  Tickets are free and available online at http://calarts.edu/calendar_events.

Amy Tofte, a CalArts MFA 2 playwright, was inspired to write Farm Noir by her childhood on a farm in South Dakota and her love of the noir genre.   In this piece she melds the noir genre with classic Greek, absurdist, surrealist and other forms through the lens of tragedy. 

Farm Noir is the story of two families of the same name in an amorphous time period.  The play focuses on Anna, who is seeking her place in both families, as well as her relationship to the land itself.  Amy Tofte has been developing the language and overall plot of her piece extensively during the rehearsal process with guest director David Watkins, the designers and actors.  To see more on how this process has developed, please visit http://theatercalarts.com to view the “Farm Noir Video Blogs.”  

Ms. Tofte graduated from the University of Iowa’s undergraduate theater department where she worked with writing mentors, John O'Keefe, Keith Huff and Art Borreca. Her plays have been produced in the Midwest, Mississippi, New York, Alaska and Los Angeles. Most recently, she was in Residency at the Kennedy Center this summer where she presented a workshop production of her full-length play White-Devil Loving-Mother. 

David Watkins has fifteen years experience directing plays, teaching writing and coaching actors. He has trained as an actor at William Esper Studio and as a director with Marcus Stern at Circle Rep. Lab, both in NYC. Other artists David has directly worked with who have influenced his approach to theater include Lanie Robertson, Morgan Jenness and Suzann Brinkley. David currently serves on the Board of Directors and as head of the Directors Unit for Fierce Backbone, a Los Angeles theater development company.

CalArts is recognized internationally as a leading laboratory for the visual, performing, media and literary arts. Housing six schools--Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater--CalArts educates professional artists in an intensive learning environment founded on art making excellence, creative experimentation, cross-pollination among diverse artistic disciplines, and a broad context of social and cultural understanding. CalArts also operates the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT) in the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex in downtown Los Angeles.