10 reasons to get psyched about Humana

This will be my 10th year covering the Humana Festival of New American Plays, which starts this week.
Yes, it is about 75 miles down Interstate 64 from Lexington, and there is a lot going on here. But Humana has held a special place on my calendar since I got here because, in the grand scheme of American arts, it’s very important and very cool.

Here’s my list of the top 10 reasons I’m excited about Humana, and I think you should be too.

1. It’s an annual national event that takes place right here in Kentucky: No, we don’t have to scurry to the coasts to see the newest plays from award-winning authors and hot young talents. They come to Louisville, and critics, producers and directors from around the world follow.

2. Say you saw it first: Many Humana plays have gone on to win awards. Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart and Donald Margulies’ Dinner With Friends both won the Pulitzer Prize for drama. Many others enjoy lives in theaters — some in regional houses, some on Broadway.

3. These are full productions: No actors standing around with scripts in hand here. These productions have professional actors, with set and costume designs by Actors Theatre’s crack staff.

4. Catch a rising star: Actors who have appeared in Humana productions include Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Kathy Bates and Lili Taylor.

5. Many plays are timely: At least a few plays each year are ripped from the headlines. In 2003, Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros and Theresa Rebeck addressed terrorism and the post-9/11 world in Omnium-Gatherum. Last year, Carlos Murillo’s dark play or stories for boys looked at relationships in the MySpace world, and this year’s Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom by Jennifer Haley looks at video gaming and the real world.

6. Everyone’s a critic: Whether you go with friends or hang out in the ATL bar, the newness of Humana plays makes them prime fodder for post-show critiques. On the critics and theater professionals weekends, a good eavesdropper can get a handle on what’s hot and what’s not.

7. It can get kinda crazy: If you enjoy avant garde, atypical theater, this is your best chance to see some in Kentucky.

8. It’s at Actors Theatre: For ease of accessibility and comfort of the theaters, ATL can’t be beat in Kentucky, although I have yet to figure out the crazy seat-numbering system.

9. It’s about writers: If you enjoy good writing, if you were cheering for the little guys during the writers’ strike, no event celebrates theatrical writers quite like Humana.

10. It’s not all about Louisville: Sometimes a Lexingtonian or University of Kentucky kid will get in the mix. This year, recent UK theater grad Dara Tiller is involved in Humana.