Karen Saari, a copywriter in communications and strategic marketing, is one of Madison’s newest playwrights. Her first full-length play, written solo, has been chosen to be performed as a staged reading in Forward Theater’s 2015 Wisconsin Wrights Play Festival.

“My life changed the moment they called me,” Saari said. Reflecting on the call that set this adventure in motion, “because I’ve had a lot of unfocused energy. I was always one of those people who, ‘I want to be an actress, I want to be a writer, oh, I like this and I like that and I like working in TV,’ but I never really found that identitiy … Like, who are you at your core? but when I got that call, I just thought ‘I’m a writer.’”

According to Forward Theater, the Wisconsin Wrights program was founded in 2006, through a partnership between the UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies in Theatre, the UW-Madison University Theatre and the Madison Repertory Theatre. Forward Theater Company accepted stewardship of the program in 2014 and will continue to coordinate the program as a reading series for new works.

Saari’s play, “In a Clearing”, is a two-act drama punctuated by humor about a recovering alcoholic who is trying to rebuild his life.

The protagonist, Mark, reconnects with Pam, a childhood friend returning to town after a family tragedy. Mark starts developing flashbacks or nightmares that may threaten their relationship and the life he is working to patch together.

“It’s really a play that is about how we cope with uncertainty and loss,” Saari says. “Most people do that using humor, memories and habits.”

Saari is hopeful that this opportunity will encourage her play to get a full production. In the mean time she just wants to work hard on producing something that she feels confident in sharing with the public.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to work with professionals and grow from that experience but it also gives the work some legs and validity. It’s also incredibly validating as a writer,” a grateful Saari gushes.

The Wisconsin Wrights Play Festival runs Oct. 1-3. The staged reading of “In a Clearing” is Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Frederic March Play Circle.

For more information regarding the festival and tickets, visit Forward Theater’s website.