3rd Annual New Works Festival
The New Works Festival celebrates the works of 10 Emerging New Playwrights from across the country curated from over 400 submissions.
Craftsmen
by Wesley Preis (San Diego, CA)
Directed by Connor Boyd
Justin might be a good balloon artist, but he isn’t the best. He isn’t the best in California, he isn’t the best in Orange County, and now, he isn’t even the best in the very house where this six-year-olds birthday party is taking place. “Craftsmen” is a play about camaraderie, jealousy, the versions of ourselves that we have and haven’t been, and the versions of ourselves that we fashion out of rubber.
Hamlet - Act V, Scene II, Take 2
By Roger Henry (San Diego, CA)
Directed by Vivian White
Even William Shakespeare didn’t always get it right on the first draft. What is now known as an iconic tragedy could have just as easily been a comedy; and what were ultra-modern references at the time may have gotten the axe to preserve the work’s timelessness by the final revisions. But did he make the right decisions in his edits? You decide, as you witness ‘Hamlet - Act V, Scene II, Take 2’.
IFs (Imaginary Friends)
Written by: Thomas J Misuraca (Los Angeles, California)
Directed by: Mia Spencer
A group of Imaginary Friends are released from service by their children. Before they fade into oblivion, they meet a group of elderly friends who can see them. But dealing with older friends has its challenges. Together they’ll do their best to recapture the magic of childhood.
Cringe
By Melissa Jordan Grey (San Diego, California)
Directed by: Natalia Demko
A fashion-backward professor, a high-maintenance best friend, and a stressed-out stylist walk into a boutique… and walk out changed forever. Between dating disasters, shapewear slip-ups, and one high-stakes dress catastrophe, this birthday girl glow-up spirals into a hilarious and heartfelt reckoning on resilience, reinvention, and the roads not taken. With rapid-fire wit and a Hacks-meets-Maisel energy, CRINGE skewers generational divides, Instagram culture, and the absurdity of modern romance. Because in the end, real confidence isn’t about fitting into the perfect outfit—it’s about realizing you were fabulous all along.
23 and Me and Me and Me
By Toby Inoue (Evanston, IL)
Directed by: Connor Boyd
A young couple discovers the mixed blessing of getting the family you always thought you wanted.
Mick and Ernie go to Therapy
By Mike Byham (Southlake, TX)
Directed by Connor Boyd
Mick and Ernie are thieves who have just completed a job in North London. They duck into a psychological therapist’s office to hide from the police – who are hot on their heels. The therapist mistakes them for her next client and conducts a “couples counseling” session, revealing secrets and ultimately ending with a surprise.
Dragonsbreath: The Video Game
By Austin Steinmetz (San Diego, CA)
Directed by Connor Boyd
“Laura loves fantasy books. I love video games. Dragonsbreath: The Video Game should be the perfect combination!” thought Justin as the clerk handed him the bag. “How bad at video games could Laura be?...No matter, I’m the best boyfriend ever!”
This House Is Empty Now
By Sean Pomposello (Redding, CT)
Directed by: Vivian White
After dropping off their only daughter for freshman year at college, a couple drives home grappling with the bittersweet reality of their newly empty nest.
Bedtime at the Cottage
By (Liz Leighton, New York, NY)
Directed by Vivian White
Having been held in a strange cottage for an indeterminate amount of time, Roberta and Charlotte are afraid to even speculate on the nature of the unknown entity that keeps them there. With limited resources and context at their disposal, the childlike hostages each express a different approach to the eerie happenings in this uncanny prison.
Swimming Off the Big Dock
by Philip Middleton Williams (Palmetto Bay, FL)
Directed by Tim Baran
Friends gather at their summer place on Grand Traverse Bay in Michigan on July 20, 1969. But there’s more going on besides the first moon landing. For some, it’s the beginning of a new life, and for others, it’s a time to examine how this group of ruling class rising young adults process the death of one of their own and the everyday hypocrisies that are a foundation of their way of life. One small step, indeed.
HAZZARD
By Kelleen Conway Blanchard (Seattle, WA)
Directed by: TBD
Based on a true story, Hazzard looks at the horrific murder of a young heiress at the turn of the century in Olalla Washington at the hands of Dr. Linda Hazzard- a famed Naturopathic Doctor that touted the fasting cure at her Sanitorium in Olalla Washington. When her monstrous exploits were discovered she was found guilty of manslaughter for killing at least 15 people for financial gain.
Road Buddy
By Sashank Kanchustambam (San Diego, CA)
Directed by Wendy Ark
What happens when, throughout high school and college, you're made to believe you're 'the shit'? And then, you step into the real world only to get smacked in the face with the realization that you're just another person chasing 'success' (whatever that even means, am I right?). Jahnvi Ravikanth is exactly one of those people. She took a leap, moved to Seattle with a part-time job, and convinced herself that if she just kept auditioning, something would eventually work out. Nine months later, still nothing. Defeated and depressed, the only good thing she had left was her long-term boyfriend... and then he broke up with her. Now, she desperately needs a break and can’t even afford a flight back home. That’s when she stumbles upon 'Road Buddy,' a carpool app that feels oddly like a dating app. Through this, she reconnects with Marnus—the nerdy guy from her high school who, for some strange reason, is now incredibly hot, now. The rest of the play follows their journey back to their hometown, where Jahnvi learns to come to terms with reality, they both come across a series of eccentric characters, and this unlikely friendship starts to grow. And, of course, the big question is: Do they end up together?
This Road in the Shape of My Spine
by Baylee Shlichtman (Santa Ana, CA)
Directed by: Eddy Lukovic
A man walks through a desert, going somewhere, searching for something. His concerned friend tags along, much to the man's dismay. The two bicker about extinct animals, reminisce about Bjork, and encounter the divine as they try to relearn how to be there for each other after drifting apart.
The Art of Tolerance and Forgiveness
By Lisa Balderston (San Diego, CA)
Directed by: TBD
In The Art of Tolerance and Forgiveness, two loving Mexican families gather for a joyous dinner to celebrate the upcoming wedding of their gay sons. Their happiness is shattered when the young men are tragically killed. In the aftermath, the families struggle to rise above their profound grief. One mother buries herself in her floral business, refusing to confront the loss, while the other channels her pain into activism, fighting against hate crimes and advocating for stricter gun laws. Alongside them, a sister navigates her own path through the heartbreak. This poignant play explores themes of love, prejudice, grief, gay marriage, and resilience, shedding light on the challenges of being LGBTQ+ and BIPOC in a world where hatred and violence persist.