Duluth Playhouse Reveals Lineup for the 2025 WOMEN IN THEATRE New Play Festival

Duluth Playhouse Underground has announced the return of its annual new play festival–now reimagined as the Women in Theatre, New Play Festival, taking place June 6, 2025, at the NorShor Theatre. 

Formerly known as What She Said, the festival's refreshed identity better reflects its mission: to elevate the voices and perspectives of women in the arts. This one-night-only event features eight powerful short plays written by women and staged by a talented cohort of local directors and performers. 

The festival will kick off at 7:30 PM, but beginning at 6:30 PM, audiences are invited to arrive early to explore the lobby of the NorShor Theatre, where local community organizations and artists will be tabling. This pre-show gathering offers a chance to connect with local creatives, learn about resources and initiatives in the community, and celebrate the vibrant network of women-led work happening in the Twin Ports and beyond.

The 2025 Women in Theatre featured plays include: 

G-Complex by Paige Conway 

Directed by Hannah Siedlecki

Featuring Henry Mattson and Piper Bagley

Best Supporting Actress by Jessie Moss 

Directed by Shea Callaghan

Featuring Kendra Carlson, Shinedala Berg, Ian Wallin, Trey Duncanson, and Sarah Blossom

Sorry about the Galvanism by Allison Page 

Directed by Kay Capasso

Featuring Ella Goette, Henry Mattson, Chris Ibarra, and Ian Wallin

The Ascension of Maxi by Jamie Olah 

Directed by AJ Valentine

Featuring Jennie Ross and Shinedala Berg

I Watched My Mother Die Before She Died by Kim Robinson 

Directed by Penny Olson

Featuring Karen Niedermier

Life Corp by Jenna Jane 

Directed by Lou Divine

Featuring Lynnlee Johnson, Grace Brinkert, Beth Schroeder, and Suki Mozenter

Days of Awe by Alice Eve Cohen 

Directed by Molly O'Neill

Featuring Sarah Blossom and Trey Duncanson

Bumper Suit by Melissa Jackson Burns 

Directed by Cortney Schmidkunz

Featuring Phoebe Applegate, Piper Bagley, and Chris Ibarra

These pieces range from intimate to absurd, hilarious to haunting–all unified by their originality and experimentation with form. Whether longtime theatre-goers or newcomers to new works, audiences will find the Women in Theatre, New Play Festival to be an opportunity to witness bold storytelling, champion emerging voices, and experience the power of live performance in an entirely new way.

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