Palm Beach Dramaworks Announces New Year New Plays Festival

Palm Beach Dramaworks will welcome in 2021 with its third annual New Year/New Plays Festival, which takes place online from January 6 - January 10.

Hosted by The Dramaworkshop, the Festival features five evolving plays read by some of South Florida's finest actors. It's an opportunity for playwrights to hear their words performed by gifted professionals and to receive feedback from viewers as they continue to develop their work. Admission to these Zoom readings is free, but reservations are required.

The plays are Charlottesville by Catherine Bush (7:30pm Wednesday, January 6), The Surest Poison by Kristin Idaszak (7:30pm Thursday, January 7), Dorothy's Dictionary by E.M. Lewis (7:30pm Friday, January 8), Twenty-Two by Erin K. Considine (7:30pm Saturday, January 9), and The Prey by Gina Montet (2:00pm Sunday, January 10). In addition, there will be discussion, TBD, on Saturday at noon.

Each play was first presented by Drama(in the)works, a series of weekly readings of evolving scripts that was created to help determine which pieces should be included in the 2021 Festival. The choice was ultimately made by Producing Artistic Director William Hayes and The Dramaworkshop Manager Bruce Linser, who took audience feedback, among other factors, into account.

"We're so pleased that the Festival will go on in 2021, as this has become one of our most popular annual events," said Hayes. "Of course, we will miss being in the theatre: one of the most important aspects of the Festival is that playwrights have the chance to watch their play with an audience, and hear and see the response. They can actually learn quite a bit from that. Obviously, that's impossible online. But they still get to see their work performed by talented actors, and they still get feedback from our patrons via Zoom. And we know from all those weeks of Drama(in the)works, our patrons are very vocal and very willing to share their opinions. So, the Festival will still be enormously helpful to the playwrights, and stimulating for our audience."

Diane and Mark Perlberg are the executive producers of the New Year/New Plays Festival. Sandra and Bernie Meyer are the associate producers. PBDonline is sponsored by Louise and Barry Snyder.

Tickets to the Festival are free, but reservations are required. Visit palmbeachdramaworks.org or call the box office at 561.514.4042, x2.