COLD READINGSCold Readings is a play-reading series focusing not on development, but on reader engagement. Each night a facilitator introduces the play and its context, we then read the play without rehearsal, and finally we discuss. We dive into plays without the pressure of performance and cherish the opportunity to learn about our artform. No theater training is required to read and the group is always growing. Cold Readings are typically on Wednesday nights, on Zoom and (soon) in-person. If you'd like to join us, email us.
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Vaclav Havel night!
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
7-10pm
Hybrid! In person in Manhattan, online on Zoom.
Vaclav Havel: Playwright. Poet. Political prisoner. President.
Join us to explore work by the extraordinary Czech artist and thinker.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
7-10pm
Hybrid! In person in Manhattan, online on Zoom.
Vaclav Havel: Playwright. Poet. Political prisoner. President.
Join us to explore work by the extraordinary Czech artist and thinker.
What is a Cold Reading?
For 10 years, Theater in Asylum has been gathering actors and non-actors to read (cold and without rehearsal) great plays. Following each reading, we discuss it, asking questions like, “What stood out?” “What is the play asking us?" and “How would you direct it here and now?” It’s something of a book club, but we read the entire book together on the spot. No expertise or great acting is needed. The stakes are low (there’s no possibility of extension) and high (this is opening and closing night!). The aim is to enjoy reading and discussing theater, and to build confidence in it.
How does it work?
Each Cold Reading begins with introductions so we know who’s in the room. We always read Theater in Asylum’s Community Agreements. Then a facilitator (the only one who needs to know the play beforehand) gives us a brief introduction to the play including who wrote it, when, where, and if there is any critical context we should have before diving in. Some plays have an intermission. Finally, we discuss it. Here’s the rough schedule of a Cold Reading:
Can I read?
Yes! We try to shuffle roles around, prioritizing new folks.
Do I have to read?
No! You’re welcome to just listen.
Do I need to be an actor?
No!
Do I need to read/know the play beforehand?
No! Everyone is reading it “cold.”
Are there rehearsals?
No!
Does it cost money? Is this a paid gig?
No and no!
Do I have to buy the script?
No!
For 10 years, Theater in Asylum has been gathering actors and non-actors to read (cold and without rehearsal) great plays. Following each reading, we discuss it, asking questions like, “What stood out?” “What is the play asking us?" and “How would you direct it here and now?” It’s something of a book club, but we read the entire book together on the spot. No expertise or great acting is needed. The stakes are low (there’s no possibility of extension) and high (this is opening and closing night!). The aim is to enjoy reading and discussing theater, and to build confidence in it.
How does it work?
Each Cold Reading begins with introductions so we know who’s in the room. We always read Theater in Asylum’s Community Agreements. Then a facilitator (the only one who needs to know the play beforehand) gives us a brief introduction to the play including who wrote it, when, where, and if there is any critical context we should have before diving in. Some plays have an intermission. Finally, we discuss it. Here’s the rough schedule of a Cold Reading:
- 7pm. Introduce the people in the room and read Community Agreements
- 7:15pm. Facilitator introduces the play.
- 7:25pm. Quick break to use the bathroom & refill your glass
- 7:30pm. A toast to Dionysus, then read the play!
- Some plays have an intermission.
- Quick break after the reading.
- 9:30pm ish. Discussion.
- 10pm. Goodbye!
Can I read?
Yes! We try to shuffle roles around, prioritizing new folks.
Do I have to read?
No! You’re welcome to just listen.
Do I need to be an actor?
No!
Do I need to read/know the play beforehand?
No! Everyone is reading it “cold.”
Are there rehearsals?
No!
Does it cost money? Is this a paid gig?
No and no!
Do I have to buy the script?
No!
Curation Team
Cold Reading Coordinator: Marcella Adams
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Theater in Asylum (TIA) is a New York-based theater company founded in 2010 to challenge and empower our community. TIA joyfully pursues a rigorous research and an ensemble-driven approach to theater-making. We create performances to investigate our past, interpret our present, and imagine our future. We prize space to process, space to question—asylum—for ourselves and our community.
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