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:

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Aug 12 – LADIES OF THE by Hailey Sipe, directed by Kati Grace Kirby

Aug 19 – SNOWBLIND by Laura King, directed by Kyle Brumley

Aug 26 – THE INTERIM by Caroline Donica,

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One night only: August 22, 2024 at 7:30pm

African Roscius: a black in the box play by Marlon Andrew Burnley is a journey into a liminal realm where an enigmatic Maker conjures masks that unveil the told and untold narratives of Black history. Centered on the life and impact of Ira Aldridge, this one-man show transcends time and space to celebrate a legacy of resilience and artistic innovation.

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Cast:

O’Neil Delaphena

Artistic Team:

Playwright: Marlon Andrew Burnley
Director: Mia Kristin Smith
Dramaturg: Anterior Leverett
Stage Manager: Erika Toney

Meet the Playwright

Marlon Andrew Burnley has a passion for community engagement.

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One night only: August 24, 2023 at 7:30pm

A comedy following writer Lena and her titular character Yanni Stone as Lena completes the daunting task of writing her first play all while navigating dating, sex, and virginity in modern day Atlanta, audiences had the chance to experience an earlier draft of during Synchronicity Theatre’s Stripped Bare Arts Incubator Series in April.

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Cast:

Lena, Yanni Stone – Azhane Kennedy
Gran, Dr. Graham, Cobweb 1 – Carlette Jennings
Leo, Jonathan – Kaleb Mitchell
Amber, Woman,

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Join us on August 9, 10, and 22 for developmental readings of three new plays. Thanks to support from Georgia Humanities, 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!

Thanks to support from Georgia Humanities, 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!

Curated by Essential’s Founding Artistic Director, Peter Hardy. 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.

Aug. 3 (2pm) – DAY OF SATURN by Leviticus Jelks III, directed by Najah Ali

The owner of a hardware store in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta struggle with conflicting emotions about the son he lost,

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 Working Title Playwrights and the Essential Theatre
are proud to present
the 2017 Bare Essentials Reading Series
All readings are free and open to the public.
Playwrights whose work is featured in a Festival Bare Essentials reading also receive a complimentary one-year membership to Working Title Playwrights.
Be sure to stay after for exciting conversation with the director, cast and playwright, moderated by WTP Managing Artistic Director Amber Bradshaw. 

Wednesday, August 9th, 7:30pm at the West End Performing Arts Center
FALLING OFF THE EDGE
by Paul Donnelly
Directed by Carolyn Cook
A Mormon swimmer,

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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!

We’re happy to announce the three Bare Essentials Readings that will occur during the run of the 2016 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. Co-produced by Essential Theatre and Working Title Playwrights, all readings in the Bare Essentials series are free and open to the public. Playwrights whose work is featured in a Bare Essentials reading also receive a complimentary one-year membership to Working Title Playwrights.

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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.