Four playwrights of color will advance to the semi-final round of the 2023 Playwrights’ Festival, a collaboration between Matthews Playhouse and the African-American Playwrights Group (AAPG). The annual festival, now in its third year, is an initiative to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the theatre community by highlighting original works by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
The following playwrights will adapt their scripts into a 20-minute “preview” version to be performed as a staged reading and adjudicated by a panel of local theatre professionals on Saturday, May 27 at 11a.m. at Comedy Arts Theater of Charlotte (CATCh).
TaMara Goode – Reflections
Donald Hall – Black Chip, White Chip
Alethea McCollin – Pastor Willie
Rory Sheriff – Speak Easy
Tickets to the May 27th staged readings are free and open to the public, audience members may reserve their free tickets here. Donations to support the Playwrights’ Festival and other DEI initiatives will be accepted. The semi-finalist who receives the highest score from the panel will have his or her work produced as a full-length play at Matthews Playhouse September 22-24 as part of the 2023-2024 season.
“It is a privilege to incorporate the Playwrights’ Festival into the Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts season and establish new relationships with community members,” said AAPG founder Vickie Evans. “There is an enormous amount of talent in this community and it is a pleasure to give these playwrights a chance to see their work come to life on stage.”
“We are committed to creating a supportive environment where artists feel encouraged to tell their stories regardless of race, gender, identity and background,” says Matthews Playhouse Executive Director, Sarah Baumgardner. “There was a lot of competition this year, and we are
so happy to see this festival grow and fulfill its vision!”
The Playwrights’ Festival began in 2021, when AAPG partnered with Matthews Playhouse to produce the first-of-its-kind event. Playwright Coolidge Harris II, won the event for his play, Greenwood, and was produced as a full-length play at Matthews Playhouse in the fall of 2021.
Local playwright Kenyatt Godbolt won the 2nd annual Playwrights’ Festival for his play, A House is Not a Home, which was produced in August of 2022 as part of the Matthews Playhouse
mainstage season.
To learn more about the Playwrights’ Festival Staged Readings on May 27th and how to attend, please visit https://www.matthewsplayhouse.com. You can also click here to learn more about the semi-finalists.
Matthews Playhouse
100 McDowell St
Matthews, North Carolina
(704) 846-8343
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