GENE FRANKEL THEATRE FESTIVAL Reveals 2025 Winter Festival Award Winners

The Gene Frankel Theatre Festival wrapped its Winter Festival on December 22 with a gala celebrating the season's short plays and one ACT Productions. The festival, which ran from December 8 through December 22, featured eighteen New York premieres chosen from more than one hundred and fifty submissions by actress Francesca Ravera and Thomas R. Gordon, Artistic Director of the Gene Frankel Theatre.

The awards were determined by a jury composed of Francesca Ravera, Thomas R. Gordon, and Thomas G. Waites, who attended the productions and recognized outstanding achievements in writing, directing, and performance.

The Winter Festival award recipients are:

Best Actor – One Act

Sam Heather, Jack Mormon

Best Actor – Short Play

Rain Rainwater, Changeling

Best Actress – One Act

Yuval Benit, Malpractice

Best Actress – Short Play

Bex Odorisio, How to Decide When You're Deciding

Best Director – One Act

Jason Hoover, Houselives

Best Director – Short Play

Phoebe Eileen Grech, The Human Element

Best Script – One Act

Custom Options by Matthew Gilleece

Best Script – Short Play

The Library Lam by Robert Cantillon

Best Play – One Act

Houselives by Margot Krauss

Best Play – Short Play

When the Hurly-Burly's Done by Cristina Noelle

The awards were announced and presented during the December 22 gala, marking the official close of the Winter Festival season. It was also revealed that the next Summer Gene Frankel Theatre Festival will run from June 29 through July 19.

With both winter and summer editions, the Gene Frankel Theatre Festival continues to provide a platform for original theatrical work, showcasing short plays and one ACT Productions while honoring outstanding achievements in theatre through juried evaluation.