World Premiere Of THE WISHING PLACE Opens August 18 At 7Stages

From August 11 to September 3, Essential Theatre is presenting its 24th Festival featuring two World Premiere productions, four staged readings, partner presentations of two more plays, and a 10 Minute Play Bootcamp Showcase - all by Georgia playwrights.

The Festival opens with the World Premiere of Matthew Hoffman's The Manuscript on August 11 and continues with the World Premiere of The Wishing Place, written by Beverly Austin and directed by Ellen McQueen, on August 18 at 8pm in the 7Stages Black Box Theatre.

Beverly Austin is Co-Winner of the 2020 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award and now, three years later, is finally seeing her Award-Winning Script's World Premiere. "I'm thrilled," she gushes, "Ellen McQueen and Peter Hardy are two of the best people working…So to have the chance to actually work with them is the highlight, the joy, of this time. I'm in very good hands here – excellent hands." 

In contrast to Hoffman, whose premiere on the the 11th is his first full-length and his first full production, Austin's first play was produced in London in 1974, and she has had more than three dozen plays produced or presented since then. A native Atlantan for generations back, for this play Austin draws deeply from memories of visiting her father's family in Byron, Georgia when she was growing up.

The Wishing Place is a poetic drama about two families in 1960s rural Georgia, one black and one white, trying to find their path and keep their dreams alive. Audiences only have 8 chances to see this poetic story unfold in its world premiere. Performance schedule, creative team, and ticket information below:

Performance Schedule: Thursday August 17 (8pm) Preview performance Friday August 18 (8pm) Opening Night Sunday August 20 (7pm) Monday August 21 (8pm) Industry Night Saturday August 26 (8pm) Sunday August 27 (2pm) Saturday September 2 (8pm) Sunday September 3 (2pm)

Cast: Henry: David Rucker III Vincent: Terry Kiser Jo: Sheri Wilson Richard: Caleb Wilkinson Diane: Aliya Kraar Libby: Nancy Powell Musician: George Kotler-Wallace

Artistic Team: Playwright: Beverly Austin Director: Ellen McQueen Stage Manager: Lee Fowler Assistant Stage Manager: Cassandra Dudley Intimacy Coordinator: Kristin Storla Scenic Designer: Dustin Pettigrew Lighting Designer: Harley Gould Sound Designer: Josh Campbell Costume Designer: Savannah Cobb Props Designer: Courtney Loner

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