The public is invited to a free reading at Vegas Theatre Company.
By Debbie Hall
Paul Atreides is an author, playwright, and theatre critic who will debut his original play, “The Last Confession,” as a reading at Vegas Theatre Company on April 17. The reading is free and open to the public.
The plot of the story is intense, with the tagline “Forgiveness has a Price.” It follows a priest who was once an altar boy and was sexually abused by a bishop. The main character seeks to confront the bishop and obtain a confession from him. He has already obtained confessions from other priests, and this would be the last one he seeks to get. For those who saw the film, “Spotlight,” or the stage play or its movie adaptation, “Doubt,” they will appreciate “The Last Confession.”
Paul has worked professionally and as a volunteer in the theater industry for over 30 years. Before moving to Las Vegas, he worked for two seasons in theater in Omaha. Paul also served as president of the Las Vegas Little Theater for several years.
“When I was laid off in 2011, I was at that age that I was too old to hire and too young to retire, so I started writing,” explains Paul.
For the play, he has been looking for a theater company to hold a public reading for over a year and connected with Daz Weller of the Vegas Theater Company. Daz agreed to cast the play and direct its reading.
Daz is an accomplished actor and director who relocated from Australia to Las Vegas in 2010. He currently serves as the Executive Artistic Director of Vegas Theatre Company. Daz earned a Bachelor’s degree in acting from the Queensland University of Technology and has performed extensively as an actor in Las Vegas and with many of Australia’s leading theatre companies. In recognition of his directorial skills, Daz was awarded the Best Director prize at the Vegas Valley Theatre Awards in 2019 for his work on Lynn Nottage’s play “Sweat.”
“This play has been a long process, and I have been working on it for about five years,” says Paul. “I have worked with a New York City producer on this play, and this is our next step.”
“The Last Confession” will be performed at the Vegas Theatre Company, 1025 S. 1st St., at 7 p.m. on April 17. For more info, visit paul-atreides.com and follow his Facebook @ PaulAtreidesAuthor.