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Air of mystery pervades New Works Weekend
BY CANDACE HAMMOND
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
There's never a theme for the New Works Weekend, other than great writing, but this year will have its share of mystery.
New Works host, organizer and champion Michael
 Michael Lee, host and organizer of New Works Weekend, will read from what he calls his new "comic mystery-thriller" at the event.
(Photo by Barry Donohue)
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Lee will read a chapter from his new novel, ''Beastly,” which he describes as a ''comic mystery-thriller,” and two other writers appearing at the event, Rose Connors and Peter Abrahams, are well-known for providing their share of chills. Connors, who will appear Friday, has written several mysteries featuring protagonist Marty Nickerson (a fictional Cape Cod attorney), and Abrahams, who will read Saturday, has written 19 adult and young adult mysteries-thrillers.
For 22 years the Academy Playhouse in Orleans has been home to New Works - two evenings of writers reading unpublished works before an audience of readers and listeners.
This year will feature New Works regulars - Dan McCullough, Beth Seiser, local dance troupe The Extremes and, of course, Lee. They will be joined by performance poet Mike Saari and playwright Maureen Hourihan.
''My novel, 'Beastly,' is a dark comedy thriller,” says Lee. ''Right after New Works I'm going to Ragdale (an artists retreat in Lake Forest, Ill.) for two weeks and hope to finish up the first draft.”
Lee, who is literary editor of The Cape Cod Voice, also has completed a book of his favorite columns, ''In An Elevator With Brigitte Bardot and Other Appreciations,” which will be on sale at New Works.
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If You Go
 What: New Works Weekend
Presented by: Academy of Performing Arts
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: Academy Playhouse, 120 Main St., Orleans
Tickets: $16
Reservations: 508-255-1963
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Falmouth author Abrahams is a first-timer at New Works. Abraham's latest book, ''Nerve Damage,” is his 16th mystery thriller for adults; his third Echo Falls book for young adults will be out next year.
''I'm going to be reading a young adult story at New Works,” says Abrahams. ''It's from an anthology of young adult stories that HarperCollins is publishing. It's called 'Channel 99' and is a supernatural thriller.
''I like a hard-driving story,” he says. ''Crime novels don't have to be cliched. My mom wrote plays for television and taught me about writing from a young age. ... I work every day for six or seven hours - I try to work on weekends, too. I try to make sure everything I write advances the story - everything is for the purpose of moving the story along. I don't get a feeling of self-satisfaction without having written 1,000 words a day.”
Connors will read from a mystery-thriller that is not a Marty Nickerson story, Lee says, but something completely new.
''I purposely don't know exactly what anyone is reading beforehand,” says Lee. ''I love for it to be an evening of surprise for me as well. I'm so lucky to be able to draw these fearless performers like Beth Seiser and The Extremes. I love the sense of risk of it all.”
Taking it year by year Lee, who is hosting both nights, says he'll keep on going as long as there's interest.
''I still marvel that people show up for this every year - and that they actually pay money to come,” he jokes. ''I do appreciate folks coming, and my biggest hope is for a full house.”
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Week of Friday, April 20, through Thursday, April 26, 2007
