New Funds in the Works for Festival

By Don Shirley

Oct. 20, 1996 12 AM PT

Don Shirley is a Times staff writer

Hollywood’s newest movie studio, DreamWorks SKG, is giving Center Theatre Group $340,000 over the next two years to develop new plays.

The money will fund a wide range of programs, most of them at the Mark Taper Forum, Taper producing director Robert Egan said last week. But which programs get which amounts hasn’t been determined yet, he added.

The gift is the largest made by the studio in more than a year of giving, said Andy Spahn, who directs corporate affairs for DreamWorks. However, the DreamWorks partners have individually made larger gifts, including--on the theatrical front--the $5 million that DreamWorks partner David Geffen’s foundation is giving to the Geffen Playhouse over 10 years.

“We felt this was a good way for DreamWorks to support good theater and good writers,” Spahn said.

Taper artistic director Gordon Davidson called the gift “unique” among film and TV industry gifts because it doesn’t commit the Taper to giving the donor a “first look” or options on the scripts.

Some of the money will help support the annual New Work Festival, which costs about $200,000, most of which is paid for by the Audrey Skirball-Kenis Theatre. The Taper recently announced details of this year’s New Work Festival, at Taper, Too at John Anson Ford Theatre.

The schedule for readings:

Nov. 7, 7 p.m.: “Comrades and Worms,” by Rogelio Martinez.

Nov. 8, 7 p.m.: “Like I Say,” by Len Jenkin.

Nov. 9, 5 p.m.: “Drinking the Sea,” by Nilo Cruz.

Nov. 9, 7 p.m.: “Cat’s-Paw,” by Mac Wellman.

Nov. 10, 5 p.m.: “Dirt,” by Octavio Solis.

Nov. 10, 8 p.m.: “The Little Years,” by John Mighton.

Dec. 7, 8 p.m.: “Maria! Maria, Maria, Maria,” by Lisa Loomer.

Dec. 8, 8 p.m.: “Birthmark,” by Rickerby M. Hinds.

The schedule for workshops:

Nov. 13-14, 8 p.m.: “Ikebana,” by Alice Tuan.

Nov. 16-17, 8 p.m.: “Street of the Sun,” by Jose Rivera.