IAMA Theatre Company Unveils Lineup of 8th Annual New Works Festival

IAMA Theatre Company will host its 8th Annual New Works Festival this October. Featuring staged readings of six new plays, IAMA’s New Works Festival gives audiences an early look at future hits and allows playwrights to experience public reaction to their new work for the first time. IAMA Theatre Company’s 8th Annual New Works Festival will take place October 8-13, 2025 at Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave, Los Angeles. Tickets ($18 for each reading, includes fees) are available at .

The 8th Annual New Works Festival will feature Word of Mouth by Weston Gaylord and directed by Casey Stangl, a dinner party that spirals into unsettling revelations; Death Doula by Rachel Borders and directed by IAMA Theatre Company Artistic Director Stefanie Black*, a dark comedy about family and end-of-life care; Skynight by Christian Durso* and directed by Jessica Hanna, in which a mother searches for meaning inside her son’s video game world; The Stars by Kemiyondo Coutinho and directed by H. Adam Harris, a two-actor exploration of mental health across continents and eras; What We Leave Behind by Gloria Calderón Kellett and directed by Margaux Susi*, an IAMA Theatre Company-commissioned family drama about siblings reuniting to say goodbye; and The Treatment by Amy Berryman and directed by Lindsay Allbaugh, a speculative look at the costs of halting human aging. *Denotes IAMA Theatre Company Ensemble members.

“IAMA’s New Works Festival encapsulates exactly who we are as a theatre company.” says Associate Artistic Director Margaux Susi, “We are invested in the stories of tomorrow; the only way to do that is to invest in the storytellers themselves. Giving these playwrights the gift of time to workshop, experiment, and develop their new plays with brilliant directors and actors is the best thing we can do. The dramaturgical work that happens in just one week is amazing. Each year we are floored by such incredible talent, all united here at IAMA—this year’s lineup is no different."

Since 2018, IAMA’s New Works Festival has been the company’s leading development and community engagement program, offering a platform to premiere new plays of artistic excellence and laying the groundwork for future productions. The festival invites the local community into the creative process and encourages social gatherings and discussions following each play presentation, sparking important dialogue, connection, and creative exchange, both on and off the stage. New works developed during the festival have gone on to full, world premiere productions not only at IAMA, but at theatres across the country.  

IAMA Theatre Company’s 8th Annual New Works Festival detailed lineup is as follows:

Word of Mouth

Written by Weston Gaylord

Directed by Casey Stangl

8pm Wednesday, October 8

A mysterious and elaborate dinner party takes a turn as its host and four guests are forced to confront the deeper hunger and fear that eats them from the inside. A shared meal becomes a search for answers as they contemplate the secrets shrouded in shadows.

Death Doula

Written by Rachel Borders

Directed by Stefanie Black*

8pm Thursday, October 9

In this dark comedy about death, inheritance, and legacy, a family is surprised to learn their dying patriarch has hired a death doula, a professional end-of-life counselor, to help them through his transition to the afterlife.

Skynight

 Written by Christian Durso*

Directed by Jessica Hanna

8pm Friday, October 10

After her son’s suicide, a mother dives into his fantasy video game, becoming a warrior in its mystical world. When she discovers his hidden sanctuary, a detective’s investigation forces her to choose between justice and her last link to her child.

The Stars

Written by Kemiyondo Coutinho

Directed by H. Adam Harris

8pm, Saturday, October 11

An intimate exploration of mental health in Black communities, the play follows fourteen characters portrayed by just two actors. At its center are a young Black man in present-day America and a woman in apartheid-era South Africa, each confronting hidden pain across time and place.

What We Leave Behind

Written by Gloria Calderón Kellett

Directed by Margaux Susi*

8pm, Sunday, October 12

A piece commissioned by IAMA Theatre Company, set in Marina del Rey, the Valdez siblings reunite to say goodbye to their dying mother. Over one charged night, they confront old wounds and rediscover the fierce love that binds them.

The Treatment

Written by Amy Berryman

Directed by Lindsay Allbaugh

8pm, Monday, October 13