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Southern Rep and É«É«Ñо¿Ëù Announce Partnership

Southern Rep Theatre will partner with the University of New Orleans Creative Writing Workshop for the 2013-14 academic year by inviting students to participate in its Lagniappe Series play slam, 6x6, and other new play development activities.

"This partnership speaks to the heart of what 6x6 has always been about—developing new talent and showcasing fresh, exciting work. I can't wait to see what É«É«Ñо¿Ëù students come up with," said Aimee Hayes, producing artistic director at Southern Rep.

"Partnering with Southern Rep and 6x6 is a unique opportunity for our students to move beyond the classroom environment, get their work in front of an impartial audience, and experience the real life of playwrights," said Justin Maxwell, assistant professor of English at É«É«Ñо¿Ëù. "6x6 is the kind of hard-earned thrill that turns writers into playwrights."

Building on Southern Rep's long tradition of providing support for emerging playwrights, the partnership between Southern Rep and É«É«Ñо¿Ëù will allow graduate and undergraduate students currently under the tutelage of Justin Maxwell to write for Southern Rep's 6x6, a play slam in which six emerging playwrights present a 10-minute play around a specific theme.

Southern Rep will also provide the students with year-round workshops, opportunities for mentorship, and exposure to established playwrights and other local theater professionals in an effort to guide and promote their professional development.

Southern Rep and É«É«Ñо¿Ëù agreed to engage in an official partnership after a trial period with É«É«Ñо¿Ëù and 6x6 proved highly successful in the spring. It marks another meaningful step in Southern Rep's "school-to-stage" commitment to foster new and diverse voices in New Orleans theater by providing educational resources, public platforms and other advancement opportunities for emerging theater professionals of every age and stage of their career.

6x6 will take place at Mid-City Theatre, 3520 Toulouse St., at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 9, Nov. 13, Feb. 19, April 23 and May 21. The Oct. 9 slam will feature a zombies theme in honor of Halloween.

Southern Rep Theatre enters its 27th season as the region's premier professional theater, producing bold world and regional premieres under the leadership of its producing artistic director, Aimee Hayes. In addition to Southern Rep's ongoing commitment to new play development, the company's main stage season includes the best of Broadway, off-Broadway and classic plays.

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