THE MEETING
Don’t miss Jeff Stetson’s The Meeting, running for just two weekends at Marietta’s New Theatre in the Square and featuring repeat Essential performer Kerwin Thompson. February 15-25 only!
THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE
Essential audiences will recognize Jimmica Collins in the cast of Synchronicity Theatre’s next production, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
“Edward Tulane, a vain porcelain rabbit, learns how to love and discovers a true miracle in Dwayne Hartford’s adaptation of the enchanting book by Kate DiCamillo (BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE).”
Running February 2-25 with daytime and evening performances.
“2017 was for playwrights to shine” ArtsATL Year in Review
Year in Review: 2017 was for playwrights to shine . . . and Serenbe’s “Cabaret,” old chum
Andrew Alexander and Jim Farmer – Dec 26, 2017
This was a busy year of theater, with world premieres popping up in every corner and local companies flexing their creative muscles. ArtsATL critics Andrew Alexander and Jim Farmer saw most of the major shows during the year, and share their reflections on the productions and trends that defined 2017 in Atlanta theater…[read more]
Celebrating 20 Years: A Look Back At The 2015 Festival
Continuing our look back at the past 19 years of Essential Theatre festivals, today we take a look back at the seventeenth Essential Theatre Festival, in 2015.
The 2015 Essential Theatre Festival was our second one at the West End Performing Arts Center, and we had a big bump in attendance as more and more people learned about this lovely performance venue! Josh Mikel’s LILLIAN LIKES IT took a comic look at social media and Natalia Temesgen’s OLD SHIP OF ZION was about the member of a small church who begins to realize that he’s gay.
Celebrating 20 Years: A Look Back At The 2014 Festival
Continuing our look back at the past 19 years of Essential Theatre festivals, today we take a look back at the sixteenth Essential Theatre Festival, in 2014.
This was our first year at West End Performing Arts Center, and we went from doing three plays in repertory to two, so we could put more time and resources into our World Premiere productions. The Essential Theatre Playwriting Award was split between Theroun Patterson’s THAT UGANDA PLAY (his second win) and Karla Jennings’ RAVENS & SEAGULLS (it would have been her second win if we had started the contest back when we premiered her IMAGES IN SMOKE back in the 2000 Festival).
Celebrating 20 Years: A Look Back At The 2013 Festival
Continuing our look back at the past 19 years of Essential Theatre festivals, today we take a look back at the fifteenth Essential Theatre Festival, in 2013.
Our second year of all-Georgia-written plays. MYSTERIOUS CONNECTIONS, which Artistic Director Peter Hardy took to the Eugene O’Neil Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference, got a splendid production from director Ellen McQueen. Hardy directed the World Premiere of STRAY DOGS by Matt Myers, and Katie Grant Shalin’s SWIMMING WITH JELLYFISH was directed by Bill Murphey (who acted in the very first Essential Theatre production, back in 1987).
Celebrating 20 Years: A Look Back At The 2012 Festival
Continuing our look back at the past 19 years of Essential Theatre festivals, today we take a look back at the fourteenth Essential Theatre Festival, in 2012.
Continuing our look back at 20 years of Essential Theatre Festivals …
2012 was a big, big year for us, with our highest attendance and box office records ever. Not conincidentally, it was also our first year of doing ALL new work by Georgia writers!
There was Topher Payne’s EVELYN IN PURGATORY, which is now published by Samuel French and has had at least two further productions.
Celebrating 20 Years: A Look Back At The 2011 Festival
Continuing our look back at the past 19 years of Essential Theatre festivals, today we take a look back at the thirteenth Essential Theatre Festival, in 2011.
The 2011 Essential Theatre Festival was another great year for us — three shows we’re still proud of today. Lee Blessing’s GREAT FALLS, Melanie Marnich’s A SLEEPING COUNTRY (Blessing and Marnich are married, which we didn’t even know when we chose those plays!) And the World Premiere of Theroun Patterson’s A THOUSAND CIRCLETS, the first of two Essential Theatre Playwriting Award wins for him. This play went on to be produced again at Detroit Repertory Theatre —
Celebrating 20 Years: A Look Back At The 2010 Festival
Continuing our look back at the past 19 years of Essential Theatre festivals, today we take a look back at the twelfth Essential Theatre Festival, in 2010.
The 2010 Essential Theatre Festival was a big one for us. We did Poet Laureate Rita Dove’s epic THE DARKER FACE OF THE EARTH, and Ms. Dove was gracious enough to come to our opening night! Then we did Artistic Director’ Peter Hardy’s prize-winning SALLY AND GLEN AT THE PALACE, which went on to another production at Out of Box Theater, and Gabriel Jason Dean’s QUALITIES OF STARLIGHT, which went on to four further productions around the country,
Celebrating 20 Years: A Look Back At The 2009 Festival
Continuing our look back at the past 19 years of Essential Theatre festivals, today we take a look back at the eleventh Essential Theatre Festival, in 2009.
Continuing our celebration of 20 years of the Essential Festival — 2009! This was the year we moved from 7 Stages to Actor’s Express, and suddenly we could have sets!
Our prize-winning World Premiere, that year, Vynnie Meli’s JIM CROW AND THE RHYTHM DARLINGS, was described by one of our patrons as “the most powerful play I’ve ever seen.”
