Val Landrum Stars in 21 NEW MESSAGES by Spark Plug Theatre Collective at Edinburgh Fringe

Spark Plug Theatre Collective will bring its acclaimed new work 21 New Messages to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August, following a Portland encore at Artists Repertory Theatre on July 18 and 19.

Described as “the answering machine play that asks the audience to deliver the news,” 21 New Messages is an intimate, multimedia theatre piece written by Stefan Feuerherdt and directed by Chris Harder. The piece premiered at Portland’s Fertile Ground Festival of New Works in April 2025, where it drew enthusiastic audience response for its inventive use of audience participation and emotionally resonant storytelling.

The one-woman show stars Val Landrum, a veteran of stage and screen with over 100 regional, professional, and Off-Broadway credits. Her film and television appearances include Leverage, and E.R.. A Steppenwolf Theatre alum, Landrum anchors the piece with her nuanced and emotionally open performance.

In 21 New Messages, a woman returns to her mother’s home to pack and finds the telephone answering machine blinking to signal a host of unheard messages.  As she plays the messages, audience members become the storytellers, voicing the “recordings” live and revealing fragments of the woman’s past and her complicated relationship with her mother. The piece explores themes of connection, memory, transformation, and the power of the messages we send and receive—sometimes too late.

Portland audiences will have two final chances to see the production before it travels to Edinburgh:

Upcoming Performances

Portland Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. WAITRESS (Broadway Rose Theatre)

7.8% of votes

2. SWEENEY TODD (Twilight Theater Company)

6.6% of votes

3. FUN HOME (Metropolitan Performing Arts)

6.5% of votes

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