An SF State program is giving graduate playwrights a behind-the-scenes look at the art of play development and the marketing tools to help launch their work to the world.

Now in its eighth season, Greenhouse is a production program that provides playwrights with experienced actors, professional directors, and a stage crew. It is an opportunity for students to mold and sculpt their work through observation.

Greenhouse is part of the SF State Playwriting Program that brings theatre arts and creative writing students together to present staged readings of plays. At the 2004 Bay Area Playwrights Festival, three out of the 10 playwrights chosen to present their work were graduates of the SF State Playwriting Program.

Every year, three new plays – four this year – are chosen to receive a staged reading in the Greenhouse series. Actors must audition for a role in a production or playwrights will call on actors they know or have worked with in the past.

“It is difficult for us to produce full-length plays by students here because we don’t have enough funding and the facilities are a problem,” said Greenhouse founder and producer Roy Conboy, who is chair of the theatre arts department. A play is something you write on paper, but at some point it has to get up on its feet.”

Conboy, 54, said the objective of Greenhouse is to provide a learning experience for graduate playwrights. For this reason, plays do not go into full production, therefore, actors do not memorize lines so that writers can do as much revision as they want.

Greenhouse generally has the actors and directors meet for about five rehearsals to become acquainted with the text. A fifth rehearsal is spent getting the technical aspects of the production down, like the lights and the blocking.

“Three Part Harmony,” a play written by Kerry Erin Kelly is about four characters – Colleen, Vic, Edward, and a ficus plant named Sherri. Colleen and Vic are bisexual lovers who have recently united through fate, but face perils that may separate them again. Colleen’s ex-boyfriend Edward falls fatally ill and she feels obligated to be by his side. Vic must open her heart and home to Edward in order to save her relationship with Colleen.

“Hearing the text in the mouths of experienced actors is just what we need to be able to take the play to the next level,” said Kelly, 34, a creative writing graduate student at SF State. “Staged readings like the Greenhouse series are invaluable to the playwright as he or she continues to develop the text.”

Elizabeth Gjelten, an advisor for Greenhouse and a playwriting graduate student, knows just how invaluable this learning experience can be for writers. Her play entitled “What the Birds Carry,” was selected for Greenhouse two years ago and produced in 2005.

“It is a wonderful process, and it has a really good track record,” said Gjelten, 54. “You just learn so much about play development.”

“Robin and Mema,” written by Jennifer Sullivan, 32, a playwriting graduate student at SF State, is the story of Mema, a Southern term for grandma, and her granddaughter Robin. It is about the generation gap between them and how at times they love and hate each other.

Mema, an old Southern bigot, is infuriated when she finds out that Robin is dating a Japanese man named Kiyosha. Over time, their relationship evolves into something beautiful. “Robin and Mema,” will run April 21-23.

Lale Shafaghi, 27, hopes she will be as lucky as Gjelten and other colleagues who have had their works produced. She has been working on her play entitled “The Breeze at Dawn,” for three years now, and is eager to see it up and running May 5-7. “The Breeze at Dawn,” is the story of two sisters-in-law who share secrets, tea, and poetry on a bumpy overnight bus ride.

“This is the last semester of my grad career and the play that is being read is also my thesis play,” said Shafaghi, a playwriting graduate student. “I hope to send it out into the world soon and this process will only help it.”

Performances are held at El Teatro de la Esperanza, an off-campus theatre located at 2940 16th St. in the Mission district. For more information on upcoming performances contact the theatre arts department at (415) 338-1341.