Previews: POWERSTORIES' 6TH ANNUAL VOICES OF WOMEN THEATRE FESTIVAL at Hillsborough College Theatre

Powerstories Theatre will celebrate women’s voices onstage as it presents the 6th Annual Voices of Women Theatre Festival from March 5 to 8, 2026, at the Hillsborough College Theatre, Ybor City.

What began as a creative response to the shutdown has evolved into a national platform for playwrights whose stories often go unheard.

Founder and Executive Director Fran Powers reflected on the festival's inception and why it continues to matter. “When the pandemic closed our doors, it opened a new chapter. We had no idea that being shuttered would give birth to a program that has now empowered hundreds of women playwrights to step forward and speak their truths. Six years strong, the Voices of Women Theatre Festival is more than a program, it is a movement. It is proof that even in the hardest times, stories rise, voices matter, and women’s truths deserve to be celebrated. That is, and always will be, what Powerstories is all about.”

This year’s festival features a mix of new work from across the country. Audiences will experience three full-length staged readings beginning on Thursday, March 5 with How to Rob the Art Institute of Chicago by Texas playwright Sam Hernandez. The festival continues on Friday, March 6 with The Tragic Ecstasy of Girlhood by Georgia playwright Kira Rockwell. On Sunday, March 8, the festival presents All My Mothers by Shelli Pentimall Bookler of Pennsylvania, selected from the Women Playwrights Over 40 category.

Playwright-in-residence Jenny Kokai shared how meaningful that category has become to writers who rarely see their perspectives actively sought out. “It has been astonishing to read the submitted plays from highly accomplished women playwrights nationally and internationally. Many of the authors told us how much having a category for women writers over 40 mattered to them. To know that their experience and perspectives were not just included but sought after.”

Saturday evening, March 7, highlights local talent with four new short plays written by Tampa playwrights. The showcase includes Love, Lost (Rings), and What We Wore by Jessica Burchfield, Zeus Gets Cancelled by Alaina Rahaim, Black Barbie by Ashley Burgess Laster, and What About Ruth? by Charlene Dorsey. The performance also features true short stories created by participants in the Seek and Speak Your Powerstory workshop, giving audiences a chance to hear personal stories shaped by women discovering and claiming their voices.

Artistic Director Clareann Despain, PhD, emphasized how vital these early public moments are for every writer and storyteller involved. “We’re delighted to give playwrights what is sometimes their very first opportunity to get their piece in front of an audience. We know the response of early audiences is absolutely vital to new play development. We know the Tampa community will enjoy and be inspired by our offerings this year.”

Across four days, the festival continues the mission that has defined Powerstories since its founding: to amplify women’s lived experiences and ensure their stories are heard. The 2026 season reflects that commitment with a lineup that spans generations, regions, and perspectives, all united by the belief that storytelling creates connection and change.

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