Among the 11 plays selected for this year's New Works Festival at College of the Canyons was one submitted by playwright Mark Charney from Clemson University in Southern Carolina.

But because a play must be read and discussed with the director and playwright before it can take the stage, festival director David Stears will video-conference a class play reading at COC with Charney, across the country.

"From my experience, this has never been done before," said Stears.

"This technology is nothing new, but this is the first time it is being used in this fashion. We are removing one of the barriers to collaboration: Distance."

The first reading and video-conference of the play, "Shooting Blanks," will be at 9 a.m. today with a second reading followed by rehearsals in the beginning of April. The session will be recorded for future use as an educational tool at both universities in English, theater and playwriting classes.

Charney is an award-winning playwright, who has had plays produced in New York and across the country.