2023 Modern Works Festival
Presented by Summer Wallace
May 3 - May 7, 2023
Back for the fourth time and returning to an in-person experience, the Modern Works Festival is a playwriting contest, reading festival and celebration of women in theatre.
See all three finalist readings and become eligible to vote on the festival-winning playwright!
FESTIVAL CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3RD
6:30pm: Festival Meet & Greet (passholders only)
THURSDAY, MAY 4TH
2pm: Finalist #1: WESTMINSTER by Brenda Withers (Tickets)
6pm: Women In Theatre Panel Discussion: (Tickets)
Carolina Franco, President/ Artistic Director,
CreArte Latino Cultural Center
8pm: Finalist #2: THE APIARY by Kate Douglas (Tickets)
FRIDAY, MAY 5TH
2pm: Finalist #3: THERAPY by Jena Rashid (Tickets)
6pm: Women In Theatre Panel Discussion: (Tickets)
Emilia Sargent, Producing Artistic Director, Tampa Rep
Georgia Guy, Producing Artistic Director, ThinkTank Theatre
8pm: Guest Playwight Discussion: Bess Wohl (Tickets)
In partnership with the Hermitage Artist Retreat
SATURDAY, MAY 6TH
2pm: Finalist #2: THE APIARY by Kate Douglas (Tickets)
6pm: Women In Theatre Panel Discussion: (Tickets)
Julie Leach, Executive Director, West Coast Black Theatre Troupe
8pm: Finalist #1: WESTMINSTER by Brenda Withers (Tickets)
SUNDAY, MAY 7TH
2pm: Finalist #3: THERAPY by Jena Rashid (Tickets)
5pm: Audience Roundtable Discussion
6pm: Festival Winner Announcement, with post-festival toast at 99 Bottles
FINALISTS
WESTMINSTER by Brenda Withers
When Pia's old friend Krys gifts her with a surprise rescue dog, the women and their partners face off over issues of class, accountability, and good breeding. Part morality play, part screwball romp, Westminster digs into "acceptable" social prejudices and the consequences of leaving those biases unchecked.
THE APIARY by Kate Douglas
It’s 2044. Bees are extinct in the wild, kept alive inside synthetic apiaries where they live year-round in perpetual spring. Through a freak accident, lab assistants Zora and Pilar discover the bees have an usually positive response to dead human flesh. As the bees begin to thrive, Zora and Pilar must find a way to satiate their new appetites.
THERAPY by Jena Rashid
Dr. Cleo Magnus takes great pride in his work and the people it brings into his life as a therapist. He lives for the excitement and thrill of meeting new clients and working with them. His newest client, Jane, is no exception to this. However, things take a turn when feelings start to develop into impulses that neither party are sure that they can resist acting on.
TICKETING INFO
FINALIST READINGS:
$20 Regular
$15 Under 40
$5 Student
ALL DISCUSSIONS:
Free! But tickets must be reserved in order to secure your seat. Limited availability.
PLAYWRIGHT FINALISTS
Brenda Withers
Finalist #1, WESTMINSTER
Kate Douglas
Finalist #2, THE APIARY
Jenna Rashid
Finalist #3, THERAPY
SUPPORT
This festival is made possible in part by generous support from:
Executive Producer Doug Bradbury
Co-Producers Deb Shoss & Libbie Sherman, Len Goldberg & Maureen Gebhardt, Dick & Betty Watt Nimtz
Associate Producers Emilie Robinson, Annette Haile, Shari & Stephen Ashman