Rogue Theater Festival Returns to The Players Theatre and ShowTix4U

Rogue Theater Festival is at again! Making waves this year in person at The Players Theatre AND digitally on ShowTix4U, Rogue is ready to present a brand new lineup of shows in their, here to stay, hybrid theater festival. Lasting from June 30th through July 3rd, the festival will include 18 brand new shows to be presented LIVE and in person at The Players Theatre along with 27 brand new shows that can be streamed on demand virtually on ShowTix4U.

Rogue is excited to be, once again, offering an Artist in Residence program that gives 3 artists the chance for more performance opportunities and writing workshops with professional writers in both theater and film.

More information on Rogue, the shows playing this year, and our amazing playwrights in residence, check out our website https://www.roguetheaterfestival.com and keep reading below to figure out which shows you'll be attending this year!

LIVE at The Players Theatre

A Modern Robin Hood or some shit like that

By: Monte D. Monteleagre

Thursday, June 30th

7:00-8:15pm

Sunday, July 3rd

7:45-9:00pm

Two actors and their friend put on a show for the express purpose of making as much money off the rich theater goers as they can. All they need is ten minutes, the billing address on some credit cards, a place no one can use their phones, and their trusty friend Jacob.

Black Box Sandbox

By: John DeBenedetto

Thursday, June 30th

7:00-8:15 pm

Sunday, July 3rd

7:45-9:00 pm

"Black Box Sandbox" is a 10 minute comedy.about three men who are marooned on a deserted tropical island. They are reaching their breaking point. But things are not always what they seem.

The Rainbow Method

By: Serena Norr

Thursday, June 30th

7:00-8:15 pm and 8:30-9:15 pm

Sunday, July 3rd

7:45-9:00pm

JULEY, a world famous wellness guru and creator of "The Rainbow Method," a technique that uses rainbows to heal others, just completed a stay at The Foundry, a clinic to help her with a trauma. During her release, her manager, SAMI, comes with his own agenda, pushing her to get back to work where all she wants is to stop pretending. As the power shifts, SAMI uses the very method that JULEY created on her. Is JULEY's method real, or is the power of manipulation the real strength?

Get the Gig

By: Phil Way

Thursday, June 30th

8:30-9:45 pm

Friday, July 1st

7:00-8:15pm

Tony, a waiter with espionage aspirations due to having been raised on James Bond movies, blunders into a casting director while practicing his spy techniques in the park and lands an audition. Andie, his coworker and an aspiring actress, is overcome with jealousy.

Their friend Kate, an unemployed designer going for a fashion gig, tries to keep the peace in this comedy about everyone trying to get their gig.

In the Dirt

By: Christoph Gallegos

Thursday, June 30th

8:30-9:45pm

Friday, July 1st

7:00-8:15pm

As two gravediggers in 1930's Virginia bury the body of a man who suffered an untimely death, they contemplate their own ends, the Great Gatsby, and kittens, all the while wondering if God has a hand in any of it.

Portrait of a Young Man

By: Kyle R. Thomas

Thursday, June 30th

10:00-10:45pm

Greg Wheeler's marriage is falling apart. Not knowing exactly how to deal with this new reality, he decides to get away and takes his son on a trip to Florence, Italy. Spurred on by his mother's request to bring home a book about a long-lost Renaissance artist, Greg and his son embark on a journey that spans history, architecture, relationships, and life. They meet a friend there who helps them in their understanding of art, finding pleasure in the little things, and realizing one universal truth: our story is never over.

The Three Prayers Answered

By: Larry Rinkel

Friday, July 1st

7:00-8:15pm

Saturday, July 2nd

3:00-4:15pm

Sunday, July 3rd

3:00-4:15pm

In the 2nd U.S. Civil War, two Rebel soldiers and friends named Palmer and R.C.

Are imprisoned in a Union tower where they fall for the lovely Emily.

No longer friends but rivals, they are sentenced to fight until one loses his life.

And though R.C. wins, he is ambushed and dies, leaving Palmer to claim Emily as his wife.

State of 'Dis Union

By: Wayne L. Firestone and Sharon Goldner

Friday, July 1st

8:30-9:15 pm

State of Dis' Union is a historical satire written about the commencement of the Ukraine War and refugee crisis. The play conjures the spirit of David in a battle with Goliath using an undervalued asset-comedy. The play is told through two voices: a young Ukrainian President with the power of a trained actor's sense of drama, a comedian's sense of timing and a global leader's sense of courage and bravery and an actress representing the Ukrainian people during the crisis. The play takes place in various settings in Ukraine ranging from a State of the Union address in the Capital, through the imagined street testimony of current refugees around the world who carry with them only the fairy tales and folk stories from their native Ukraine.

I always knew you were around

By: Megan Dean

Friday, July 1st

9:30-10:30pm

Two employees hide in a break room at a retail department store on the busiest day of the year, Black Friday. As sparks fly between them, something good seems just around the corner. But what is truly lurking on the other side of the wall for Rex and Zena? Could it be hope? Their boss? Corona? Or could it be secrets of their past that threaten their present? "I always knew You were around" is a story of how the desperation for connection comes with an in-exchangeable price tag...

Wine from the Tuscan Countryside

By: Alexander Craven

Saturday, July 2nd

3:00-4:15pm

Sunday, July 3rd

3:00-4:15pm

Lush piano harmonies and exact rhymes abound in this short musical set in Renaissance-era Italy. The premise is simple enough: one midnight, a rakish thief returns to Florence, the city from which he escaped the law, to steal away with his beloved. He visits her bedroom and passionately declares that they will live together in the bucolic and peaceful Tuscan countryside. However, nothing goes according to his romanticized plan; the situation quickly unravels as the drama intensifies and the story careens towards its surprising, yet inevitable end.

Untitled Monologues 2

By: Francesca Bolam

Saturday, July 2nd

3:00-4:15pm

Sunday, July 3rd

3:00-4:15pm

I often sit on the train and watch the people around me. Wondering about the kinds of lives they've lived, the hardships, the good times, the family they may have or not. We live in our own little bubbles where often even the closest to us don't really know what's going on. Untitled Monologues Chapter 2 is a continuation of the journey of some of these individuals as they explore therapy and their own dark secrets.

Viable

By: Cate Wiley

Saturday, July 2nd

4:30-5:45pm

Sunday, July 3rd

6:15-7:30pm

In a dramatic triptych, Viable probes the paradox of the female body in twenty-first century America. One the one hand, sex positivity, SlutWalks, no more fat shaming! On the other, the end of legal abortion in half the country. What's a person with a uterus to do?

The Right Whale

By: Michael Towers

Saturday, July 2nd

4:30-5:45pm

Sunday, July 3rd

6:15-7:30pm

Two Partners journey with different expectations and experiences on a Whale Watching excursion with the hopes of sighting one of the only three hundred remaining Right Whales in the world. Will the Partners survive the rough waters and will their timing prove as right as the gentle giant they seek?

FIST, Deep in Space

By: Brody Rogers

Saturday, July 2nd

4:30-5:45pm

Sunday, July 3rd

6:15-7:30pm

FIST, Deep in Space is a very silly one-act comedy. Taking place on the First Intergalactic Space Traveler (FIST, for short), it concerns two space engineers and their growing fear that an alien may be in their midst. Secrets are revealed and mayhem ensues in this explosive comedy.

My Big Brother Fights Monsters

By: Emma S. Rund

Saturday, July 2nd

7:15-8:15pm

Embarking on a project to declutter her life, Emma comes face to face with boxes of her brother Jacob's things, which pull her into long forgotten memories. My Big Brother Fights Monsters is a one-woman show that explores the playwright's relationship with Jacob, who lost his battle with cancer at just 9 years old, leaving 5 year old Emmie without her best friend. Now, Emma must ask: if these items don't spark joy can she thank them and say goodbye, as Marie Kondo suggests, or can they somehow add up to the brother she lost?

Alas and Alack in Alaska

By: Jonathan J. Samarro

Saturday, July 2nd

8:30-9:15 pm

Seeking relief from the tormentors of her school drama club, twelve-year-old Squirm attempts to run away in order to find the mother she doesn't quite remember. Perhaps she's in Alaska? Or maybe she's just in Squirm's head? Squirm's a little confused about the story and situation of her family. Squirm also doesn't have a lot figured out about "her" own gender identity or sexuality. A little selfless compassion, acceptance, and support would definitely ease some of her panic. Will her siblings stop fighting long enough to figure out how to quell Squirm's agitation at this very critical moment?

Outskirts

By: Shelby Pickelny

Saturday, July 2nd

9:30-10:15pm

Entertaining without Explaining

By: Gavin Matthias

Saturday, July 2nd

10:30-11:00pm

"Entertaining without Explaining" is a cabaret starring composer and lyricist Gavin Matthias. His musicals have had their premieres in recent years- most recently a run of his musical "The Fourth Wall" at the New York Theatre Festival on the Lower East Side. A lifelong New Yorker, Matthias tells his story about growing up into a world of theatre and how writing songs-particularly musicals- has impacted his life. Guest singers Kevin Torello, Dylan Stanley and Elizabeth Fitzpatrick.

Sal and his Momma

By: Brian O'Neil

Sunday, July 3rd

4:30-5:15 pm

Sal and His Momma - loosely based on the life of author and counterculture icon Jack Kerouac - focuses on the venomous love-hate relationship between the author Sal and his mother.

STREAMING on ShowTix4U

A Kreutzer Sonata

By: Larry Rinkel

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

David Lindenbaum, a freshman Jewish piano major, finds himself in a conflicted relationship with Elena Gorecki, the beautiful but volatile Polish-American violinist with whom he has been chosen to perform Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata and who is unwilling to take his religious beliefs seriously. Along the way he must also deal with a lovable but crass roommate, his no-nonsense piano teacher, his doctrinaire mother, and his apparently cold and distant father. Can this Orthodox Jewish student find a way to survive in the modern secular world?

Daughter of Re

By: Brian Christensen

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Daughter of Re is the true story of Hatshepsut, Egypt's first successful Pharaoh. Through incredible political and religious maneuvering, she led a thriving nation for over 20 years, and yet for thousands of years nobody remembered her name or her accomplishments. After her death, her unusual kingship was erased from the historical records, her statues smashed, her name chiseled off her monuments. She had defied the patriarchy, succeeded in saving and strengthening the fragile 18th Dynasty (which would go on to produce Tutankhamen), and in return she was forgotten. Until now.

Dust Bunnies

By: Jack Rushton

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Lizzie finds a mysterious black cami in Ralph's room. She gets to the bottom of it.

Extraordinary Hero

By: John Tierney

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

EXTRAORDINARY HERO is a new Musical with an emphasis on music! Building on the classical "Hero's Journey" story structure, this ninety-minute musical features some sixty minutes of original music for singers and full orchestra.The story is powerfully conveyed in the lyrics and expressive emotions of the orchestrations.Our "Hero," Sara, whose days are filled with wrestling inner demons, withstanding bullies, and navigating her way, hears "The Call toAdventure," and try as she might, she cannot resist. Sara is aided on her adventure by Vox, TheVoice, andJoseph, The Mentor. Sara is an ordinary person in the ordinary world forced by circumstance to face her greatest fears and confront the most difficult challenges; something virtually all people must do at some point in their lives. Audiences will find relevance in this deeply human story and inspiration in the music to carry on their own"Hero's Journey."

How to Cure Cancer

By: Hope Weiner

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

In the movies sad things only happen to really attractive people who are well loved have beautiful homes and have a quirky bunch of dedicated friends. That wasn’t what happened to me! When I got cancer I had no choice but to discover the cure! Well sort of…..

Lovers of Cealg

By: Serjio Castrellon

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Serjio is a native from the very far ancient lands of Washington stage. He had early troubles talking to people, needing to attend a speech therapy school, and did not speak his first sentence until he was three years old. Serjio’s original aspirations were politics but after performing for his friends in a few video shorts, Serjio realized he wanted to work in theater and film. He loves to tell stories and has performed in various productions, both theater and film. He also has performed stand-up at comedy venues such as The Ice House, The Hollywood Comedy, and in front of his two cats.

Not only is this Serjio’s directorial debut but this is also the first time his full-length play will be performed for an audience. He’s excited for his production to come to life and still finds it all surreal. He is eternally grateful that he has been able to work with this cast and is excited for you all to see what they offer. He would also like to thank his friends and family who never gave up on him.

Miss Memphis

By: Casey Buttari

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Struggling writer and jazz fanatic Darcie Baudelaire's life becomes a lot more interesting after a case of mistaken identity plunges her into the exciting underground world of jazz.

O'Leary Thanksgiving

By: J.A. Weygant

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Pages From a Love Manifesto

By: Nico Torrez

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Inspired by bell hooks' "All About Love", Pages of a Love Manifesto is a devised theatrical piece that explores the lives and loves of three young couples, each at a different critical stage of their respective relationships. When they come together for a weekend retreat that doubles as a surprise engagement party, their cabin proves to be less an intimate getaway and more a pressure tank ready to explode. Secrets and hidden truths emerge that force each of them to reexamine their connections to one another, and question what it means to be in love.

Safe Hands

By: Alara Magritte and Daniel Rosen

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Safe Hands is a bold new musical that takes an honest look at life before Roe. v. Wade. In 1956 New Jersey, newlywed Lydia moves to the suburbs, ready to become a perfect happy housewife like her neighbor Bunnie. But when Lydia learns that Bunnie received an abortion at an underground clinic on the far side of town, she is pulled into a secret that threatens to shatter her carefully crafted life. Set against a soaring folk rock score, Safe Hands examines the hidden lives of women and the communities they forge behind closed doors.

Stuck with Fred

By: Timothy Nolan

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Hilly wants a friend, needs a friend, but the best she can do is Fred... thirty years older,

irascible in the extreme, in poor health and a fellow recovering alcoholic. He's not an easy friend. But neither is she. When his health takes a turn for the worst and his brother shows up to run interference, she finds out just how much of a friend he is.

There is a Shadow Behind Me

By: Joseph A. Dandurand

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

The Collaborators and The Botanist

By: Neila Mezynski

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

"The Collaborators" is a darkly comedic video for two women living with guilt and unspoken secrets.yet closely tied together .

"The Botanist" is a series of bleak humorous photos depicting a day at the park summing up the human condition in all its frailty through one woman's eyes.

The Lantern Bearers

By: Marc Aronoff

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

In The Lantern Bearers, Marc Aronoff tells the story of the first two people on Earth and the "games" they play revealing a modern parable that speaks to the human desire for change and the fears of stepping into an uncertain future. Described as "poignant and potent," the drama examines our need to control; never "at home", always moving, never in harmony with ourselves, and the essential question- how do we keep our "inner-light" shinning in the face of adversity. Here, performed in Italian, the power and pathos of the visual interpretation transcends language and speaks to a universal cause. The play may also be read in English at www.thelanternbearers.org (Running time: 45 minutes).

The Magical Lying Hour

By: Aaron Garrett

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

An actor prepares and an improviser germinates. These two disciplines influence each other, but rarely blend until now. Magical Lying Hour is a stage show that pairs an actor performing her lines, drawn from contemporary plays, with an improviser making his up to create something which is often funny, frequently tender, and always unique. Over the last eight years Magical Lying Hour has entertained audiences across the country with this kind of performance. In this short film they take their form to the logical extreme: after performing a scene as usual they take the improvised lines, give them to a new actor and repeat the process again! With an international cast Magical Lying Hour seeks to tease out meaning from chaos, teamwork from disunity, and comedy from the self-serious.

The Midnight Hour

By: Vincent Hannam

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Los Angeles, 1948. The top negotiator for the criminal underworld moonlights as the masked vigilante, The Midnight Phantom, while solving the mystery behind his partner's murder. Clues are unraveled and loyalties tested when an evil android arrives from the future, determined to destroy the Phantom and all of humanity.

The Process

By: Elisabetta Bracer

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

In a journey for a fresh start, a young woman details her experiences with an ex-relationship that has left her with doubts of her own recollection, insecurities, and a burning sensation to tell it to him. Through the eyes of Ariana, audiences can see and feel the raw energy and emotion coming from our main character. Laughter, tears, nostalgia and a tickling feeling that things were worse than they seemed, The Process journeys into the complexities of an individual during the 2020 pandemic.

The Unusual Chauncey Faust

By: Coni Koepfinger

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Actor Chauncey Faust longs to "make it big" and makes a birthday wish not to be forgotten. She then gets a callback for a dream job that supposedly pays more than anything in the industry. Yet is Chauncey willing to pay the price of giving up her sanity?

Under the Floorboards

By: Dana Hall

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

a??a??Under the Floorboards is a virtual adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's A Tell-Tale heart but our version has a bit of a twist. The narrator is a woman and she tells the story of how she encountered 'the man' from the perspective of three parts of her internal self-id, ego, and superego. Traditional pieces of hearing the heartbeat and heightened language are present but an emphasis on the man's eye. The eye serves as a symbol of patriarchal control and motivates the piece. Under the Floorboards is a metaphorical outcry to stop oppression and the institutions that perpetuate it. The technical director is Pamela Morgan, the piece stars: Luna Bianca Del Rio, Carson Earnest, Anna Gant and is written by Dana Hall.

Under the Limelight

By: Steph Prizhitomsky

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

12 years after the Grotto Opera House fell into ruin, the new protege of a 60s starlet trains on its rotting stage.

Welcome to Clayton

By: Morgana Kate Watson

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Sweet, sensitive Ron is moving from the city into the small town of Clayton after some particularly nasty drama. Upon arrival, he meets the jaded Kendall...who is his exact opposite and has drama of her own. When the two start chatting, they both realize that stereotypes and assumptions do no one any favors.

What do we do about the hostages

By: Rita Welch

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

Three rascals kidnap three audience members of their own performance. When no one from their cohort arrives to pick up the captives, they are forced to decide what to do with them themselves.

What May Arise

By: Patrick McEvoy

Streaming On Demand

June 30th-July 3rd

A woman lying on the ground but not seemingly injured ... a wife that predicts her husband will kill her ... a time traveler intervening after a breakup ... these are stories that may weave through a night -- and what may arise will be determined ..