Avalanche Theatre to Present Fall 2025 Next Draft Series, Now In Residence At Rivendell Theatre

Avalanche Theatre has revealed the selections for the Fall 2025 Next Draft Series, which will be presented October 5 - 21 at Rivendell Theatre as part of a new residency at Rivendell. In line with Avalanche Theatre's mission to foster the development of new plays and playwrights in the Chicago theatre community, the Next Draft Series features workshop performances of three plays by Chicago playwrights. The Next Draft Series creates an opportunity for writers to fully develop their scripts through rehearsals, dramaturgical support, and staged workshop performances in front of an audience.

The workshop performances will take place October 5 - 21, 2025 at Rivendell Theatre, as part of a new residency partnership between Avalanche and Rivendell. This fall's workshops feature three new plays by Chicago playwrights: The Sex Talk I Never Had by Anelga Hajjar, directed by Karina Patel and dramaturged by Suzi Elnaggar, in partnership with Backstitch Story Arts; Hell-Burnt by Dan Washelesky, directed by AJ Schwartz and dramaturged by Caroline Uy; and RE(VULVA) by Samantha Hurley, directed by Tyler Struble and dramaturged by Maddy Brown.

"We can't wait to develop these promising scripts from some very exciting playwrights in our community," says Alexander Attea, Artistic Director of Avalanche Theatre. "Selected from a submission pool of nearly 150 scripts, these plays stood out to us as they explored relationships with others and ourselves in fun, nuanced, and theatrical ways. We're overjoyed to be presenting them as part of a new residency at Rivendell Theatre, who have been one of Chicago's leading homes for new plays over the past 30 years. For us, this marks the beginning of an exciting and fruitful partnership."

In The Sex Talk I Never Had, presented in partnership with Backstitch Story Arts, Leila is on a quest to lose her virginity, but her sexual awakening triggers the apparitions of mysterious forces. As her cumming-of-age compels her own mother to confront the choices she's made for love, the two women are forced to reckon with the past in order to break free.

In Hell-Burnt, Zed is willing to try anything to restore his husband's health after a car accident leaves him in a coma, including summoning the archdemon Demogorgon. But rather than trading his soul outright, he challenges Demogorgon to a high stakes game of Texas Hold 'Em. As they play, Demogorgon realizes that Zed could be a valuable asset in Hell, and Zed must decide how far he is willing to go for a chance to save the love of his life and redeem himself.

In RE(VULVA), a woman wakes up in the middle of the night with an old man pointing a revolver at her. Also, this old man is her Pussy and if she doesn't have sex in a week, her Pussy will pull the trigger. Part Groundhog Day, part Charli XCX music video, part play-you-should-definitely-not-bring-your parents-to, RE(VULVA) is an exploration of "yeah it really do feel like my pussy wants to kill me sometimes."

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