Brand new scripts, actors cast on the spot, all in front of a live audience.

Every Thursday night starting June 10th - September 2nd!
Doors: 7:15pm
Casting: 7:30pm
Curtain: 8:00pm

ADDRESS
Billy Bishop Legion
1407 Laburnum Street (between Cornwall and Creelman)

Brand new scripts, actors cast on the spot, all in front of a live audience.  For 2010, the CRS is very excited to be at The Billy Bishop Legion in Kitsilano.

The CRS is Vancouver’s original live script reading event. Produced by Lori Triolo and Colin Speir, the CRS encourages innovation and connection between writers, directors, actors, producers and audiences. We program an evening of original scripts by Vancouver’s most exciting writers, cast professional actors on the spot, and watch it come to life in front of a live audience.

History/Mandate

Established in 1993, the CRS is Vancouver’s original live script reading event. Every Thursday throughout the Summer and early Fall writers actors, directors, producers, and audience members come together for an exciting evening of brand new work.

The CRS is the place for Vancouver’s artists to meet one another, share their work, and create more. Every live reading ends with a party in the bar where you can meet up with other artists over a cold beer.

The CRS is a volunteer-run organization. All donations collected go directly back into the community to fund artist-support initiatives like the Keith Provost Award, the Win a Story Editor for the Summer Contest, artists’ rent awards, and production costs for independent plays and films.

The CRS also produces special script reading events, such as CityTV’s CineCity: Vancouver’s Stories initiative, and Out On Screen’s CineCity Script Competition.

Producers can contact  us about our private script readings, script workshops, and casting services.

We bring both established and up-and-coming writers out from behind the scenes and into the spotlight. The CRS is both a supportive and challenging environment.  All types of writing are selected: excerpts from feature-length films and full length plays, short plays and films, monologues, radio plays, spoken word poetry, etc.

Hear your words come alive. When your script is chosen for the CRS, we cast professional actors on the spot to bring your words off the page. You get immediate feedback from a live audience so you can hear what's working and what needs tweaking.

No rehearsals, this is live.  Since it’s a cold reading, the actors don’t have time to rehearse your scenes. They’ll read exactly what’s on the page and you get to hear if it’s working. It’s an invaluable part of the script development process.

The best way for writers to get involved with the CRS is to come down and check it out. You’ll see the kind of writing that works best in our venue, and how the CRS works.

The CRS accepts submissions year round. To submit your script for consideration, email it to Lori Triolo.

Your submission must include:
• Title page with your contact information: Name, address, telephone #, and email address
• Your script’s format (ex: short film, one-act play, etc.)
• Your availability: indicate if there are certain Thursdays you are unable to attend
• A very brief synopsis of the script, no more than 3 sentences
• Character breakdown with brief descriptions for casting purposes

Format:
• send scripts as email attachments
• PDF, Word (.rtf and .doc), and Final Draft are all acceptable.

If you are submitting part of a feature film script, send the entire script and clearly indicate in your email which 20 pages you would like considered for programming (ex: pp. 22-42).

Other info
The CRS is a live performance event. Scripts that work best are dialogue-driven, with minimal stage directions and tight dialogue. Not sure if your script will work? Come down and see what we’re programming!

Writers are encouraged to submit more than one script

Premieres only please.

Sorry, due to the high volume of script submissions, we are unable to provide feedback to writers.

At the CRS, we cast brand new scripts on the spot then watch them fly in front of a live audience. Actors need to make quick, strong choices and commit to the story.

You don’t have to submit your headshot and resume around here, just come on down. If we’ve got something for you, we’ll let you know. If you don’t read on your first night, don’t worry! We’ll see you at the next CRS.

Casting starts at 7:30 pm. If it’s your first time, come say hello, grab a beer, and watch the readings. You’ll get an idea of how we work.

CityTV’s CineCity: Vancouver’s Stories
The Cold Reading Series partnered with CityTV to present live readings of brand new short film scripts by winning writers from CineCity: Vancouver’s Stories. This was an initiative to help emerging visible minority and Aboriginal filmmakers to produce short, dramatic films in British Columbia. A live reading at the CRS is part of the script development process, which will culminate in a live broadcast of the finished films on CityTV. The CRS was thrilled to be part of such an exciting and important initiative.

Out On Screen: Queer Film and Video Festival - CineCity Out On Screen Script Competition
The Cold Reading Series was proud to present live script readings of the three winning screenplays in Out On Screen’s CineCity script competition. The winning screenplay received $5,000 in development funds from CityTV’s CineCity initiative.

The Keith Provost Memorial Award
The Keith Provost Award is a cash prize given annually to a Cold Reading Series artist and/or volunteer who shares qualities we remember and loved about Keith: generosity of spirit, commitment, and joy.
We invite CRS members to submit nominations for this year’s award. Please email us with your nominations and include a little bit about why your nominee is a deserving candidate for the Keith Provost Memorial Award.

The CRS Win a Story Editor Competition
The CRS presents the annual Win a Story Editor Competition. Winning scripts will receive a live reading at the CRS, as well as professional story editing services from one of Vancouver’s most talented script doctors.
Writers are invited to email short and feature-length film scripts. Be sure to put “Story Editor” in the subject line.

The Actors Challenge
Tired of waiting for your agent to call? Not reading enough at the CRS? Make your own work! Take the Actors Challenge.

The Cold Reading Series co-producer Lori Triolo is issuing a challenge to Vancouver actors: “Don't be defined by how often your agent calls. Take responsibility for your career and make your own work”. She’s encouraging actors to submit their own short scenes to read at the weekly event. “We must create for ourselves. Actors looking for good material must make the scary leap into storytelling: there is tremendous power in your truth”, says Triolo.

Triolo pre-selects scenes from hundreds of script submissions. At 7:30 p.m. she and the rest of the CRS team assign about 40 roles in half an hour. It’s a lightning-fast casting frenzy. Actors have only a few minutes to read through their scripts before going live in front of the audience. But the CRS is more than just 'reading'. Triolo says the best actors make strong choices and live in the moment. “No one wants to watch a boring conversation on stage. Be alive!”

Take up the CRS Actors Challenge!

Contact

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If you can’t find the info you need on our site, please send us an email and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.