Wagner New Play Festival To Feature 7 World-Premiere Works By UC San Diego MFA Playwriting Students

The Wagner New Play Festival will return to UC San Diego from May 8 to June 10, 2023, showcasing seven new plays written by MFA playwrights in UC San Diego's Department of Theatre and Dance.

Named in recognition of the generosity of Molli and Arthur Wagner, the Wagner New Play Festival showcases the work of MFA playwrights in collaboration with MFA, Ph.D. and undergraduate directors, actors, designers, stage managers, and dramaturgs. Plays featured in the festival have gone on to be produced off-Broadway and in major regional theatres across the country. The festival draws theatergoers from the UC San Diego community, the local San Diego community, and top theater and film professionals from Los Angeles and nationwide.

"The Wagner New Play Festival showcases some of the most exciting new plays in American theatre," said Naomi Iizuka, head of the MFA playwriting program. "The festival gives San Diego audiences a first look at cutting-edge work by our world-class MFA playwrights, many of whom like Lauren Yee and Jeff Augustin have gone on to become some of the most well-known and most produced playwrights in American theater. It's also a wonderful opportunity to see the work of our amazing UC San Diego actors, directors, designers, and stage managers as we all come together to celebrate new stories and new voices."

This year's seven full productions are "900 Years" by Preston Choi, "नेहा & Neel" by Ankita Raturi, "Thicker Than..." by Agyeiwaa Asante, "I Found a Zipper" by Milo Cramer, "Boxed" by Mylan Gray, "grippy sock vacation" by Beth Hyland, and "Just the Two of Us" by Phanésia Pharel.

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