Matthews Playhouse & African American Playwrights Group Announce Semi-Finalists For 2023 Playwrights' Festival

Four playwrights of color will advance to the semi-final round of the 2023 Playwrights' Festival, a collaboration between Matthews Playhouse and the African American Playwrights Group (AAPG). The annual festival, now in its third year, is an initiative to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the theatre community by highlighting original works by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

The following playwrights will adapt their scripts into a 20-minute "preview" version to be performed as a staged reading and adjudicated by a panel of local theatre professionals on Saturday, May 27, 2023 @ 11a.m. at ​Comedy Arts Theater of Charlotte (CATCh).

TaMara Goode - Reflections

Donald Hall - Black Chip, White Chip

Alethea McCollin - Pastor Willie

Rory Sheriff - Speak Easy

Tickets to the May 27th Staged Readings are free and open to the public, audience members may reserve their free tickets by going to ticketleap.events/tickets/catch/bipoc-playwrights-festival-semifinals. Donations to support the Playwrights' Festival and other DEI initiatives will be accepted. The semi-finalist that receives the highest score from the panel will have their work produced as a full-length play at Matthews Playhouse September 22-24, 2023 as part of the 2023-2024 season.

"It is a privilege to incorporate the Playwrights' Festival into the Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts season and establish new relationships with community members," says AAPG founder Vickie Evans. "There is an enormous amount of talent in this community and it is a pleasure to give these playwrights a chance to see their work come to life on stage."

"We are committed to creating a supportive environment where artists feel encouraged to tell their stories regardless of race, gender, identity and background," says Matthews Playhouse Executive Director, Sarah Baumgardner. "There was a lot of competition this year, and we are so happy to see this festival grow and fulfill its vision!"

The Playwrights' Festival began in 2021, when AAPG partnered with Matthews Playhouse to produce the first-of-its-kind event. Playwright Coolidge Harris II, won the event for his play, Greenwood, and was produced as a full-length play at Matthews Playhouse in the fall of 2021. Local playwright Kenyatt Godbolt won the 2nd annual Playwrights' Festival for his play, A House is Not a Home, which was produced in August of 2022 as part of the Matthews Playhouse mainstage season.

To learn more about the Playwrights' Festival Staged Readings on May 27th and how to attend, please visit https://www.matthewsplayhouse.com. You can also click here to learn more about the semi-finalists.

The African American Playwrights Group, created by founder Vickie L. Evans, is a collaboration of African-American Playwrights whose mission is to produce quality and excellent theater works in our communities and abroad. Visit www.vickielevans.com to learn more.

Matthews Playhouse is a community based non-profit theatre committed to enriching the lives of children, adults, and families by inviting them to participate in the world of performing arts and education. The theatre produces an annual mainstage season as well as the Matthews Playhouse School of Theatre, Summer Camps and many other special events. Visit www.matthewsplayhouse.com to learn more.

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