Modern Works Festival at Urbanite Theatre

Back for the fifth year and taking place at Urbanite Theatre, the Modern Works Festival is a five-day playwriting contest, reading festival, and celebration of women in theatre.

See Three new works as part of the Modern Works Festival!

A NICE MOTHERLY PERSON by Lia Romeo

Peter is in New York City, Wendy’s a New Mom, and the Crocodile Won’t Stop Ticking! Lia Romeo spins a darkly comedic tale where the absurdity of new motherhood meets the relentless pressure to be perfect. Wendy’s world is a whirlwind of breastfeeding, sleepless nights, and impossible standards, all while she’s haunted by her own ticking Crocodile. Romeo's script is a laugh-out-loud yet painfully relatable journey that will strike a chord with anyone who's ever felt overwhelmed by the societal roles they are demanded to play.

IN THE MOUTH OF THE BEAST by Baylee Shlichtman

A father-daughter caving team enters the treacherous Maw, a cave of unknown origin where the laws of physics and reality bend. Their goal is to retrieve an object theorized to possess properties that could be a game changer in clean energy research and the fight against climate change. But the Maw has an agenda of its own, one that will put their relationship to the test.

I’M SAVING YOU A SEAT by Sarah Elizabeth Grace

Sam, years into her sobriety, moves to a small Hudson Valley town to restart her life and randomly reconnects with Mark, her ex-step-father whom she hasn’t seen since she was a child. Mark is dating Jamie, a newly-sober much-younger woman who asks Sam to be her AA sponsor. As everyone grows closer, complications arise at the intersection of “found family” and discovering personal authenticity.

Festival Guest Speaker: Lauren Gunderson