For Heaven’s Sake!
Pedersen’s full-length drama The Brightness of Heaven about faith, family, and the ties that bind received a full production at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre in 2012, directed by Ludovica Villar-Hauser and transferred to New York’s Off-Broadway Cherry Lane Theatre where it played to packed houses in the fall of 2014. The Brightness of Heaven opened at Buffalo’s 710 Main Theatre (formerly Studio Arena Theater) in the fall of 2015 under its new name For Heaven’s Sake! featuring the original Off-Broadway cast and creative team.
“The play may be about a Catholic family in the 70s, but on a deeper level it is about human beings grappling with the nature of love. The writing and the acting is so good and the direction so subtle that you root for everyone in different ways and for different reasons. That discussion has no era and has no end,” wrote critic Carole Di Tosti.
“An intriguing and incisive comedic-dramatic play. Exceptionally directed. Pedersen draws the characterizations profoundly. We see that each of the children years for acceptance and understanding, not realizing the extent to which they may have it, for the “religion” they fight against has at its foundation love and forgiveness if the faith is followed to its fullness…(Susan Hasho, Theater Pizzazz)
“Laura Pedersen does a great job of mining a topic that many perceive as being far from black and white. Sharp direction . . . Witty banter, good performances, and polished production.” (Cindy Pierre)
For Heaven’s Sake! was “a worthy addition to theatrical family dramas. The writing is sharp and well-observed. The staging is skillful and the actors excellent.” (Ryan Leeds)
Now stated the play was “a delightful comedy of Faith vs. Reality with an impressive cast and succinct direction. Pedersen has perfectly captured the 1970s.” (Aimee Todoroff, NY Theatre)
Of the Western New York production Michael Rabice from Broadway World said “Buffalonians love stories that take place in their backyard, but the tumultuous political times of the early 70’s could play out in any suburban working class city.”
The play was the finalist in the Maxim Mazumdar New Play Competition, a finalist in the Ashland New Plays Festival, and a finalist in The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center New Play Reading Series.
A Dozen Perfect Moments
Pedersen’s one-act play A Dozen Perfect Moments was performed as part of the 2012 Midtown International Theatre Festival at the June Havoc Theatre in New York City, where it was nominated for four awards. A Dozen Perfect Moments was the winner of the Doc Jim Martin Playwright Competition and a semi-finalist in the Drury University One-Act Playwriting Competition.
Living Arrangements
Pedersen’s one-act comedy Living Arrangements received a full production at the Roy Arias Theatre in New York City in February 2013.Living Arrangements was performed by the Township Theatre Group during their Winter 2014 season and is slated to run again in 2017/18.
This Will All Be Yours
Pedersen’s full-length musical This Will All Be Yours (lyrics and music by Charles Bloom) premiered at the Midtown International Theatre Festival in July and August 2014.
“It turns a brilliant, focused spotlight on the Price family farm in 1979 western New York, representative of many such family farms during a time of upheaval which is still happening today in different parts of the country. The message gives us pause for indeed, what are we leaving for our grandchildren if we continue our current actions and policies? Hopefully, we are creating innovative ways to keep the best of what our forebears gave us, jettisoning all that is unfruitful and, most importantly, recognizing the difference.” (Carole Di Tosti)
This Will All Be Yours was nominated for nine awards, including Outstanding Production of a Full-Length Musical and Outstanding New Book, Music & Lyrics for a Full-Length Musical.