Actor’s Express To Present VENUS By Steve Yockey As Part Of National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere

Actor’s Express will continue its 38th season with Steve Yockey’s VENUS, presented as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. The production will run April 9 through May 3, 2026, at Actor’s Express Theatre in the King Plow Arts Center. Additional partner theatres include Kitchen Dog Theatre in Dallas, with two more to be announced.

The pitch-black romantic comedy follows two women navigating love, memory, and the lingering ties of a relationship that may not be as easily broken as it seems. Developed as part of Theatrical Outfit’s “Made in Atlanta” LAUNCHPAD Festival, the play marks a return for Atlanta-based playwright Steve Yockey, whose work has been frequently produced at Actor’s Express.

When asked about programming the play, Artistic Director Freddie Ashley said, “We've been producing Steve's work here at AE for almost twenty years now, so I'm always ready to read anything new he's working on. I saw the workshop production of Venus last year at Theatrical Outfit and was blown away. It has some of Steve's signature trademarks like witty dialogue, complex characters and a devious streak of mischief. But it also feels like something really new and fresh. That's the beauty of Steve's writing; our audiences have a familiarity with his style, but he always offers something new and unexpected.”

Ashley added, “Steve's writing is all about expecting the unexpected. His dialogue is razor sharp, and he does a great job pulling the audience into the story. When things take a wild turn (as they often do!), it feels like the most natural thing in the world. There is one thing that sometimes gets overlooked sometimes with Steve's work; for all the freewheeling theatricality, strange situations and razor sharp wit, the thing that animates it all is a beating heart. Steve allows his characters to be flawed and infinitely relatable. Even though we may be journeying through a strange world, we feel connected to and fascinated by the people in that world.”

The two-person cast will feature Kate Donadio MacQueen as Nicole and Suehyla El-Attar Young as Beth. Both performers previously appeared in Actor’s Express productions of Yockey’s work, including Mercury, and were part of the development of Venus during its LAUNCHPAD Festival presentation.

The production will be directed by Melissa Foulger, whose previous credits at Actor’s Express include Mercury, Reykjavik, The Flower Room, The Thrush and the Woodpecker, Pluto, Wolves, and Suddenly Last Summer, among others. Her additional Atlanta credits include productions with Out Front Theatre, Theatrical Outfit, Horizon Theatre, Aurora Theatre, Dad’s Garage, and 7 Stages.

Yockey is known for works such as Mercury, Blackberry Winter, Wolves, The Thrush & the Woodpecker, and Reykjavik, as well as his television writing on The Flight Attendant and Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives. His work often blends dark comedy, fantasy, and psychological themes.

Performance Information

VENUS will run April 9–May 3, 2026, at Actor’s Express Theatre in the King Plow Arts Center.

Previews will take place April 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night scheduled for April 11 at 8:00 p.m. Regular performances will run Wednesday through Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Ticket Information