2013 Essential Theatre Play Festival to Kick Off Next Week

This summer, the Essential Theatre Festival is continuing its tradition of connecting local artists with the communities in which they live with their 2013 lineup:

Mysterious Connections, written by Peter Hardy and directed by Ellen McQueen, focuses on two lonely women, haunted by their pasts, who are drawn to each other from the first time they meet, and soon find themselves able to enter each other's dreams. A powerful fantasy-drama about love and terror, forgiveness and second chances,Mysterious Connections is also very funny. Ensemble Cast: Nancy Lowery Powell, Daryl Lisa Fazio, Celia Gunn-Zaboli and Ben Silver

Stray Dogs, written by Matthew Myers and directed by Peter Hardy, is the winner of the 2013 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award. We follow Jackson, a petty criminal who's not as smart as he thinks, and Violet, a teenage call girl who's not nearly everything she pretends to be. Caught in the middle of a war between corrupt cops and (barely) organized crime, they find out it's not really the greatest time to fall in love. The World Premiere of a comedy/crime story/romance in the style of Quentin Tarentino, Stray Dogs is funny, violent and surprisingly sweet. Ensemble Cast: Lake Roberts, Amanda Lindsey, Marc Gowan, Larry, Jr., Aaron Gotlieb and Ashleigh Hoppe

Swimming with Jellyfish, written by Katie Grant Shalin and directed by Bill Murphey, is relatable and full of love. Sometimes the most ordinary and commonplace relationships can be the hardest ones to figure out. Lilly and Jim's kids are almost grown and ready to leave the house, and things should just be starting to settle down for them. Instead, it all begins to fall apart. Poignant and funny, Swimming with Jellyfish is a Professional World Premiere of a Georgia-written drama about a family trying to hold it together. Ensemble Cast: Ann Wilson, James Baskin, Audra Pagano and Matthew Busch

The 2013 festival will run from July 12 - August 11 at Actor's Express, 887 W. Marietta Street, Atlanta, GA 30318. With tickets starting at just $20, this year's festival is a can't-miss!To purchase tickets or for additional information, please visit essentialtheatre.com.

About Essential Theatre: Essential Theatre has been bringing exciting, challenging new plays to Atlanta since 1988 and producing the Essential Theatre Play Festival, a repertory of regional and world premieres, since 1999. This summer is their second festival featuring all Georgia playwrights. To find out more about this summer's programming, to include details on the Bare Essentials play reading series, ASL interpreted performances, and the Meet the Playwright talkback series, visit www.essentialtheatre.com or visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NewPlays.

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