Acclaimed New York playwright to read as part of Frostic Series

KALAMAZOO—A playwright whose one-act plays have been produced worldwide will visit the Western Michigan University campus this month to read from his works as part of the 2013 Frostic Reading Series.

Edward Allen Baker, a New York City playwright with more than 30 plays to his credit, will read at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, in 105-107  Bernhard Center. The reading is free and open to the public.

Edward Allen Baker

Baker's one-acts have been seen across the globe, most recently in Mexico City, British Columbia, Dublin, Rome, Rio de Janeiro and Hamburg. One of his most notable plays, "Delores," which starred Joan Allen in its premiere, was included in "Best Short Plays 1989" and has been translated into four languages. Others include "Rosemary with Ginger," "North of Providence," "Face Divided," which starred Sam Rockwell in its premiere, "Mafia on Prozac," "A Dead Man's Apartment," starring Brittany Murphy in its Los Angeles premiere and "Up, Down, Strange, Charmed Beauty and Truth."

Baker's Off-Broadway productions include the critically acclaimed "Prairie Avenue," which starred Ed Harris and Amy Madigan in its Los Angeles premiere, "American Storage," "The Bride of Olneyville Square," "Ray on the Water" and "The Framer." His play "Free Gift Inside" premiered at the Actors Studio Theatre in 2010. Screenplay adaptations of his work include the short films "Dolores," starring Judith Ivey, and "Face Divided." "Rosemary with Ginger" is due to begin filming in early 2013 as an Arclight Films feature.

An annual judge for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Baker is a faculty member at the Actors Studio Drama School/Pace University master of fine arts program. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Writers Guild East and the Ensemble Studio Theatre, which awarded him the 25th Anniversary Award for Theatrical Excellence.

The Frostic Series

The Frostic Reading Series presents acclaimed creative writers from across the nation and beyond.

For more information, visit wmich.edu/english/events/frostic.html.