PENNEY FARMS — The Clamour Theatre Company hosted the first night of its seventh annual Clay and Water Playwrights' Retreat on Monday.

During the four-day event at the Rigel Center, playwrights from a nationwide application process had their plays acted out in a free public reading session. 

Each night at 7, a different playwright is highlighted, giving them space to watch their “works-in-progress” come to life for the first time. Producing Artistic Director Elaine Smith said that previous participants in the event have gone on to have their plays receive productions and prizes throughout the U.S. and abroad.

First up on the retreat was award-winning playwright and performer Gina Femia’s Bones Like Dust — a faith-based thriller following the story of Richard, a pedologist, who arrives at Jeni’s rural shack to study her dirt. The two strangers discover secrets and encounter ghosts while trapped only with each other during an unexpected storm. 

With Catie Casey playing the role of Jeni and Clayton Riddley taking the role of Richard, the local actors embodied their characters, while the attentive audience observed.

As the play went on, Femia watched from the back of the room. Having written the play in 2017, Femia said she initially never did anything with it. So, seeing it fall into place years later was amazing.

“I had a couple of Zoom rehearsals, but I wasn’t in person with the actors until today,” Femia said. “So, it was really fun to get to see them perform live. And then to be with an audience and hear their reactions — it’s always so much fun.” 

Smith said the event gives the community a front-row seat to what it’s like developing new works for the stage. The audience even became a major part of the process.

 During a three-part Q&A period after the reading, audience members were asked to give feedback about the script. It was a way for the writers to take notes and improve their work. 

Femia said she will definitely be taking what was said into consideration, having many plans for the future of Bones Like Dust. 

Additional works highlighted at the event were Becca Blackmore’s The Thomas Hardy Project on Feb. 25, Elizabeth Irwin’s Harm Reduction on Feb. 26 and Barbara Blatner’s Cage on Feb. 27. Each play covered a range of topics including a race for valedictorian, an unlikely parent and a captured rat snake. 

While in town, playwrights also had the opportunity to take their works and knowledge elsewhere, visiting local schools and speaking with students about what it’s like to be in the writing business.