New Manifest Theatre Company Celebrates Playwriting With Third Annual Short Play Festival, MANIFEST MINIFEST

New Manifest Theatre Company will return with the third annual Manifest Minifest short play festival on October 13 - 16, 2021. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year's event will stream on YouTube for free. Donations are accepted.

This year's event highlights work from four playwrights and features two new panel discussions. The festival kicks off on October 13th with Ezequiel González Camaño's play, Freshwater Grass. Immediately following, artists Ang Bey and Toni Robinson will host "Curating Inclusive Creative Spaces," a panel discussion about the importance of diversity in theatre.

On October 14th, New Manifest will present Sandy Lam's timely drama, Twitter Feed. Afterward, actors Oktavea LaToi and Taji Senior will host "Solo Show: Page To Stage," a panel about creating one-person shows.

New Manifest Theatre Company will also showcase Principal's Office by Cris Eli Blak and Love is a Rollercoarster by Rita Anderson. Attendees have the opportunity to watch rebroadcasts of two previous Minifest panels: Rudy Ramierez and Iyvon Edebiri's Early Career Producing Workshop and Idris Goodwin and Kristiana Rae Colón's playwriting discussion.

All four plays were professionally filmed at Ground Floor Theatre in Austin, Texas. Although actors often miss the thrill of a live audience, Simone Alexander champions the importance of virtual performances.

"I hope that we can continue to build upon this accessibility even when it is safe to gather together in large groups," Alexander said.

Supported by the Network of Ensemble Theatres, Manifest Minifest continues to strengthen the company's mission as a whole. And even though theatre has stalled across the country, Alexander believes inspiration and community are still within reach.

"Through our panels, we are able to bring together regional artists to share their experiences cultivating artistic communities and creating work during a pandemic," Alexander said.