Join us on August 16 at 2pm for the dramatic conclusion of this year’s 10-Minute Play Bootcamp, a public showcase of brand new 10-Minute Plays sure to delight and entertain!
Featuring brand new 10-Minute Plays by our Bootcamp playwrights read by local Atlanta actors.
Join us on August 12, 19 and 26 at 7:30pm for developmental readings of three new plays.
All readings in the Bare Essentials series are free and open to the public. Be sure to stay after for exciting conversation with the director, cast and playwright!
The 2025 Bare Essentials Play Reading series will feature three new plays by Georgia playwrights:
Aug 12 – LADIES OF THE by Hailey Sipes, directed by Kati Grace Kirby
When doing research for a school project, four friends encounter an article on demonic summoning rituals.
One performance only!
Thursday, August 28 7:30pm
Day is one woman’s deeply funny journey through traumatic grief, chronic illness and the untamable joy discovered while she huddled in the darkest recesses of her worst nightmares– through movement, storytelling, and archival recordings Emma Yarbrough crafts a moving offering to the memory of her Aunt Day, her familial soulmate who she lost to an act of shocking violence, all while coping with her own life-changing health diagnosis and the legacy she shares with Day—a family curse (Or is it a blessing?), of exceptionality, of laughing through tears at the absurdity and breathtaking beauty of it all.
⭐️ One performance only!
Monday, August 25 7:30pm ⭐️
A VERY famous pop musician asks a writer to create a musical. What happens next is a wild ride. Both hilarious and horrifying, I’m Not Supposed to Talk About This is a story based entirely on a true-life tale.
Advisory: This show is best for ages 13 and up.
Artistic Team
Lee Nowell – Playwright, Performer
Chelsea Szegidewicz – Musician
Audience response
“The incredible true story Lee Nowell tells in I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT THIS is both heart-rending and hilarious,
A one-performance-only encore presentation!
Saturday, August 23, 2pm
⭐️ Presented in partnership with Out of Hand ⭐️
How to Make a Home follows Antonio, a single father, as he navigates Atlanta’s Continuum of Care system to secure stable housing for himself and his 10-year-old daughter. Antonio contends with the frustrations of bureaucratic obstacles and daily life stressors, striving to maintain hope while providing for his child. Through his story, the play offers an emotional insight into the realities of homelessness and highlights available services for those in need.
Meet the Playwright: Amina S.
One night only!
Thursday, August 21, 7:30pm
A Minnesota family faces the challenges and turmoil brought about by the decline of a strong-willed Army Veteran facing the nightmare of late onset PTSD and the unresolved issues that come to the surface–a dramatic comedy with a surreal-twist and lots of heart.
Meet the Playwrights: Larry Larson and Carol Larson
Larry Larson‘s acting, writing career goes back to the 1970’s as a company member of the Academy Theatre and later partnering with Academy Alums, Eddie Lee and Rebecca Wackler, to write, act in,
One performance only!
Monday, August 18, 7:30pm
This monologue is about an actor in search of himself. His career embodies my convictions about acting as a craft, a way of life, and an existential perspective. The storytelling is autobiographical and fictional, comical and philosophical.
Meet the Playwright: Tim McDonough
Tim McDonough has acted 100+ roles. Awards: Best Actor, 1982, Boston Theater Critics Circle; Citation for Career Contributions, 1983, New England Theater Conference; Critic’s Choice for Best Actor, 1998, Creative Loafing; Suzi Bass Award, Outstanding Featured Actor, 2009, and a nomination for Best Lead Actor,
One performance only!
Thursday, August 14, 7:30pm
Reese’s childhood took an unexpected turn when her parents abandoned her in a Red Lobster, leaving her with a lifelong struggle to bond with others – especially her older, seemingly perfect sister, Margot. When Margot reveals her long and difficult battle with infertility, Reese seizes the opportunity to mend their fractured relationship by offering to be her surrogate in this hilarious and innovative one-woman play.
The show was previously performed at the NYC Fringe and the Atlanta Fringe, where it won a NYC Fringe audience choice award, ATL Fringe audience choice award,
The world premiere production of the 2025 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award winning play, A Very Special Hospital by Matt Hoffman, opens August 8.
A dark comedy about healthcare with a piercing family story, this is Hoffman’s second full-length play, the first being The Manuscript which premiered at the 2023 Essential Theatre Play Festival to popular and critical acclaim.
Advisory: Discussion of family and childhood trauma.
🌟 2025 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award sponsored by Theo Harness 🌟
Performance Schedule
Thursday August 7 (8pm Preview)
Friday August 8 (8pm Opening)
Saturday August 9 (8pm)
Sunday August 10 (2pm)
Monday August 11 (8pm Industry Night)
Friday August 15 (8pm
Saturday August 16 (8pm)
Sunday August 17 (2pm)
Friday August 22 (8pm)
Saturday August 23 (8pm)
Sunday August 24 (2pm)
Friday August 29 (8pm)
Saturday August 30 (8pm)
Sunday August 31 (2pm)
In The Press
Coming Soon
What Audiences Are Saying
Coming Soon
Cast:
Sarah: Hannah Brumley
Robbie: Louis Kyper
Dr.
