The Dayton Playhouse has announced its 33rd annual FutureFest, a festival of new plays. The 3-day event will take place July 19-21. Since 2020, the event has been limited due to COVID and budget constraints, but this year FutureFest returns once again as a live theatre festival.
The FutureFest reading committee received over 400 submissions of new, previously
unproduced plays (the highest number ever) from across the United States. The committee has reviewed all of the plays, moving twelve of the best on to a second level committee for final selection. Five finalists were ultimately selected and will be produced over FutureFest weekend.
All five plays will be presented as staged readings, with one on Friday night, two on Saturday and two on Sunday. All five playwrights will be in attendance, along with five professional adjudicators who will critique each play, followed by an audience critique. At the end of the weekend the adjudicators will select a winning play. The winning playwright will receive a stipend and the honor of having his or her play presented for two weekends in March as part of the Dayton Playhouse regular 2024-2025 season. With the help of sponsors, advertisers, and donors the Dayton Playhouse funds travel and lodging for all of the finalist playwrights and adjudicators. The primary sponsor for FutureFest 2024 is Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority.
This year’s FutureFest finalists are:
The Four by Catherine Butterfield, Santa Monica, CA
Unabashedly by Mike Teverbaugh, Toluca Lake, CA
The Totality of All Things by Erik Gernand, Chicago, IL
The Chrysalis by Joe Ricci, New York, NY
The Cure by Alex Dremann, Philadelphia, PA
Throughout the weekend there are festivities, including an Opening Reception on Friday and a dinner following the second play on Sunday. There are also lots of networking opportunities for audience members, playwrights, casts and adjudicators to discuss the plays. There will also be an opportunity for Weekend Passholders to vote for their favorite play of the weekend.
Weekend passes, which include all five plays, Opening Night Reception and Sunday Dinner go on sale May 10 for $100.00 and can be purchased online at www.daytonplayhouse.org. For questions, call 937-424-8477.
Tickets for individual plays will go on sale for $20 beginning July 8, or as available at the door 1 hour before each play.
Auditions are open to all and will be held May 20 & 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, OH 45414, located in Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark. Additional audition information will be posted at www.daytonplayhouse.org.
The Dayton Playhouse is a community theatre providing outstanding theatrical productions to Miami Valley audiences of all ages for more than fifty years. The Playhouse is nationally recognized for FutureFest, a festival of new plays.
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