Eight aspiring student playwrights will get the chance to see their plays read tonight and tomorrow night at Harvard's Loeb Experimental Theater on Brattle St.

The student-directed and acted Festival of Original Plays kicked off with four readings last night. The actors use a minimum of props, costumes and lighting, and generally read from scripts, said festival coordinator Jennifer Litt '86.

"Within the drama community on campus the playwrights are probably the least represented, least understood, and least visible group," said Steven W. Gutwillig '86, secretary of the Loeb Ex. "What this is really for is to give each playwright the chance to hear their work before live audience, to see how their work is approached and interpreted by a committed director and actors."

A total of 18 plays were submitted for consideration, six of which were rejected because of staging difficulties. Many of the casts rehearsed for only two weeks, Gutwillig said.

The Harvard-Radcliffe Drama Club spent $70 on publicity and materials. Casts used their own props and costumes.