TALKING IT OUT Virtual Play Festival Announces Its Inaugural Season

This fall will mark the first online performance of Talking It Out, a virtual theatre festival dedicated to promoting mental health awareness.

The inaugural 2020-2021 season of the festival, which originated as an in-person reading event in 2019, will be presented online via Zoom on November 21st, March 20th & July 17th at 7pm. Tickets are on-sale now at www.eventbrite.com/e/talking-it-out-a-virtual-short-play-festival-tickets-111853867930.

Founded by writer/producer Anthony J. Piccione, the first Talking It Out performance was presented live at the Dramatists Guild Foundation's Music Hall on March 10th, 2019. At the time of the initial readings, Michael D'Antoni wrote a rave review of the event for Five-Star Arts Journals, describing it as having "nothing less than pure, unadulterated, genuine, unpretentious focus on the agonies and anguish of mental illness, while also celebrating the triumphs and accomplishments over those living with, or those living with someone who suffers from mental health issues."

While Piccione originally intended it to be a one-time event, the event has since been resurrected as an ongoing festival of short plays presented exclusively online, for theatergoers to enjoy from their homes. Every 4 months, 5 short plays will be presented by actors from around the world, with each play sharing a common goal of highlighting various issues of mental illness - ranging from anxiety, depression, autism, ADHD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, and more.

While admission to the festival is free of charge, attendees are encouraged to make a donation on Eventbrite. For every donation received, half of it will be donated to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, while the other half will be evenly distributed amongst the playwrights, actors & producer.

A full list of plays being presented this season can be found below. Casting announcements are to be made in the coming months.

November 21st, 2020

Broad Daylight by Alex Goldberg

Mean Girl & Best Friend by Monique Hebert

Eddie & Edna by Donald Loftus

Amygdala by Cassidy Tilden

Angels of the Mansions of the Moon by Randy Gross

March 20th, 2021

Because by Marcus Gorman

The Silence of My Lonely Room by Scott C. Sickles

Joint Adventure by Steven Hayet

Glass Slipper by Molly Peterson

Warpaholics Anonymous by Russell Nichols

July 17th, 2021

Dinosaur by Steven Hayet

Obsession by Bridgette Dutta Portman

A Day in Life by Huss Rasit

What Size is Your Onion? by Lindsey Brown

Bonsai! by Randy Gross