The Reading Theater Project has announced the cast and performance details for Parish Blood Drive by Ryan Elmore, the first staged reading in the Play Reading Series: Revelation. The reading will take place Thursday, April 24, 2025, 7pm at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts’ Boscov Theatre, 200 Washington Street, Reading, Pa. Free parking is available behind the building.
Jody Reppert directs Elmore’s play. At the annual Holy Child Parish blood drive, Joe Wells enlists the help of his estranged daughter-in-law Leslie and his granddaughter Fran for administering donations. Familial tensions boil in the company of Maryann, a Red Cross nurse, and Terry and Sophia, two teenaged siblings come to donate. When a snowstorm forces them all to remain at the drive longer than any of them intended, conflict ensues. Dynamics change, truths are revealed, and lines are drawn.
The cast features Karyn Reppert as Leslie, Aliyah Caulder as Fran, Kevin Wade as Joe, Molly Carl as Maryann, Emani Velasquez as Sophia, Aidan Bonner as Terry, and Michael Falcone as Michael, with Megan Rose reading stage directions.
The Play Reading Series this spring will connect to the season’s theme of “Illuminate” and will feature three plays by local and regional playwrights. Each is performed as a staged reading followed by a facilitated talkback with the playwright, director, and actors.
There are two additional Play Reading Series performance dates: Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 7:00pm – Faithless by Kimberly Patterson, Directed by Sue Sneeringer; and Thursday, May 29, 2025 at 7:00pm – Hero Work by Adam Richter, Directed by Julia Matthews. More information and tickets are available on our website, readingtheaterproject.org or by calling 484-706-9719.
Similar to other productions, the Play Reading Series will follow the Pay What You Will Model: an audience member can choose their own price for a ticket, including $0. The recommended price is $10, and we encourage those who are able to pay the $20 Pay It Forward price. This ticket pricing model is part of our Theater For All initiative to make theater more accessible to all audiences. The season is supported by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, administered through Berks Arts, EnerSys, Visions Federal Credit Union, and M&T Bank.
