Click here for video trailer.

A warm, touching play about the members of a small African-American church, struggling to keep its doors open and adapt to changing times. Mama Gwen is a beloved elder who feels the burden of others who depend on the strength of her faith, and Quincy is a young man who loves his church but is beginning to realize that he’s gay.  A Professional World Premiere about people searching for a spiritual life in trying times.  With lots of music!

Featuring the acting talents of: James G. Smith,

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Starting out as a satirical look at the world of social media, this quirky comedy takes a turn into deeper territory when Lillian thinks she may have found the perfect guy — unfortunately, he’s dead, but does that really matter if she can still chat with him online? The World Premiere of the Winner of the 2015 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award.

Featuring the acting talents of:  Alyssa Caputo, Tyler Hayes, Antonia LaChe, Christie Vozniak, Ben Silver and Pat Young

Joshua Mikel is an actor,

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All readings in the Bare Essential series are free and open to the public. Be sure to stay after for exciting conversation with the director, cast and playwright!

We’re happy to announce that we’ve now set the three Bare Essentials Readings that will take place during the run of the 2015 Essential Theatre Play Festival. All readings will take place at the West End Performing Arts Center and will start at 7:30 p.m., followed by a discussion.  The readings will be open to the public with no admission charged.

2015 Bare Essentials Reading Selections

August 4: DELI by Diane Dexter,

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Founding Artistic Director Peter Hardy will be overseeing the Bare Essentials reading series and directing three of the six readings himself. Peter is a national award-winning playwright himself, who’s had over 30 productions of his work done around the country, and was named Creative Loafing’s Critic’s Pick for Best Local Playwright in 2010.

Three women face the final days of their ailing sister’s life in this moving family drama. Emotionally raw and sometimes painfully funny, it’s a transcendent study of love and mortality and survival. One of the co-winners of the 2014 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award.

Featuring the acting talents of: Teresa DeBerry, Patricia French,  Jill Perry, Gina Rickiki, Sam Traquina, Sarah Wallis and Suzanne Roush.*

Click here to read the 7/31 AJC review, here to read the 8/8 ArtsATL review, and here to read the 8/13 Atlanta Theatre Fans Q&A.

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An epic story that moves from America to Africa and back again, imagining the ghosts of war, political corruption and personal betrayal that might lie behind the recent anti-Gay legislation in the nation of Uganda, passed into law in February of this year and overturned on July 31! One of the co-winners of the 2014 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award.

This summer’s powerful cast includes Olubajo Sonubi, Brody Wellmaker, Jennifer Alice Acker, Tiffany Denise Mitchenor, Portia Cue, Blaire Hillman, Kevin Stillwell, Alex Van and Sedonia Monet.   Theroun Patterson won the 2011 Essential Award for his family drama A Thousand Circlets,

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What if Shakespeare had conceived the melancholy Dane as a costumed crime fighter? The world of comic books and the Bard of Avon come together in this hilarious mash-up, a tale of murder and revenge,  poetry and BAM! SOCK! POW!

World Premiere cast includes:
Topher Payne as Hamlet
Lake Roberts as Horatio
Emmett Furrow as King Police Commissioner Gordrick
Aaron Gotlieb as The Puffin
Bob Smith as Jest
Kate Graham as O-Feline
Ashleigh Hoppe as Jape
Kenneth Robert Wigley as Laertes
Stuart McDaniel as The Jester
Megan Hayes as Bat-Hamlet Girl

Here’s the latest on Bat-Hamlet’s life after our 2012 World Premiere.

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