FOR SALE BY OWNER Wins First Place At Fresh Fruit Festival

Sam Turlington's debut short play, For Sale By Owner won First Place at The Fresh Fruit Festival's 10-Minute Play Competition early Sunday afternoon.

The Fresh Fruit Festival, presented by All Out Arts, is an annual multi-event festival which celebrates the LGBTQ community's unique perspective, creativity & diversity. Their 10-Minute Play Competition features 16 short plays by queer artists presented over multiple rounds of performances, with winners selected by a mix of audience votes and invited judges.

The final performance left a sold-out house buzzing with curiosity about For Sale By Owner's twist ending, and audience members expressed their excitement for the pending full-length play. One theatergoer remarked, "it is an exquisite reveal of a tragic yet assuring story that resonates with anyone who's lost touch, love and vital support from their family at one point in their life - expert acting, smooth cadence to the story, and engaging dialogue that left me wanting to see what's next!"

Under the direction of David Charles, the dynamic two-hander follows a transmasc writer, Jax (Sam Turlington), as he attends the showing of a seemingly haunted old house. Led through the home by gossip-loving real estate agent Ruby Conn (Taylor Lyn Dawson), Jax discovers the ghosts of past owners and a powerful connection to his younger self. Though performed on a bare stage, the world of the play was given vitality and gravity by Charles' direction.

Though they are firmly established as an actor, this performance marks a significant milestone for Turlington as their New York City playwriting debut. Turlington's portrayal of Jax was equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, while Dawson's performance as Ruby Conn added humor and charm to a story centered around family estrangement and the resilience of queer folx.

For Sale By Owner won at the festival alongside Monika Orzelowski's Searching for the Gays (Second Place) and Raine Grayson's Like The Sea (Judge's Pick.)

More information about For Sale By Owner here.