2020 Fall Festival
ANPF’s Fall Festival is our annual flagship event that features readings of four plays - 2020's virtual Festival has 5! - chosen from hundreds of submissions from all over the world. The plays are read without authorship being known by a dedicated team of volunteer readers who select the finalists. Our artistic director receives the blinded scripts and leads the collaborative process of choosing the winners. Each play receives two readings, a matinée and an evening, and is followed by a talkback session with the playwright, providing a learning opportunity for both the audience and the artist.
The Playwrights
Ian August
Zero
Three reform-school teens discover a bottomless pit in this narrated tale of the inexplicable and the unspeakable, a darkly comedic allegory about the danger of simple solutions and whether ‘nothing’ actually exists anyway.
Kari Bentley-Quinn
Hyannis
In this relatable, multifaceted drama set in a small Cape Cod town, a family grapples with healing and despair as they adjust to the return of one of their own from his second stint in rehab.
William Cameron
Truth Be Told
An exploration of the nature of objective truth and how it’s distorted and manipulated, this story follows the grief-stricken mother of a mass shooter as she seeks to convince a true-crime writer investigating the case that her son has been framed.
David Hilder
Those Days Are Over
A vigorous collage, a buoyant journey into grief, this deeply felt comedy centers on the five estranged MacKillop sisters who meet together at their childhood home in the immediate wake of their mother's death.
Grace McLeod
The Communist Revolution: A Ninth-Grade European History Project (There Will Be a Practical Demonstration)
Parents vs. kids, house vs. tent, capitalism vs. communism: the ultimate showdown ensues in this black comedy about rich white liberals whose desire to be “good” runs up against their own fragility.
The Plays
Zero by Ian August
Deep in the woods of rural Connecticut lies a brick-laden Victorian mansion, the St. Vedastus Academy for Misguided Teens, a refuge for the newly violent, mildly sinister, and willfully corrupt. Nil is at least two of these things, and even in the eyes of more deviant classmates, suffers social death for it. But when schoolmate Harrison discovers a seemingly bottomless pit in the forest floor behind the school, Nil sees an opportunity to claw a way to the top of the heap. And unbeknownst to them, the pit appears to be getting larger and larger and larger.
Zero is a narrated tale of the inexplicable and the unspeakable, a darkly comedic allegory about the relationship between addiction and empathy, the danger of simple solutions, and whether ‘nothing’ actually exists anyway.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: This play includes all the things. This ain’t no Disney Channel sh*t.
Hyannis by Kari Bentley-Quinn
In a small Cape Cod town, Michelle and her mother Fran run a small shop where they sell beach gear, souvenirs, snow globes, and the best fudge around. Michelle’s son, Tommy, has just come home from his second stint in rehab, and the financial toll of his heroin addiction has hit the business’ bottom line. Meanwhile, a young woman named Lauren is home from college to tend to her ailing mother, and she and Tommy make a connection that changes them both forever. Set over the course of a summer and a winter, Hyannis takes a look at the plague of despair and drugs infecting small town America.
Truth Be Told by William Cameron
Kathleen Abedon’s teenage son Julian carries an automatic weapon into his workplace and opens fire. When the smoke clears, fourteen people are dead, Julian among them. One year later, when true-crime writer Jo Hunter comes to town to interview Kathleen for a book on the shooting, the grief-stricken mother seeks to convince the skeptical journalist that Julian has been framed. At a time in our history when the truth is under attack on a daily basis, Truth Be Told explores the nature of objective truth and the ways in which we manipulate and distort it to serve our own ends.
Those Days Are Over by David Hilder
Those Days Are Over concerns the five MacKillop sisters in the immediate wake of their mother's death. They're not exactly close, these five, and as they tussle with each other they're also tussling with the past. Alliances are formed and broken; detente is reached one moment, dissolved the next. Fundamentally the play looks at what it is to be a Gen X woman now. It's a vigorous collage, a deeply felt comedy, a joyous journey into grief.
The Communist Revolution: A Ninth-Grade European History Project (There Will Be a Practical Demonstration) by Grace McLeod
Sasha takes her ninth-grade European history class project to the extreme by pitching a tent in the backyard of her family’s Westchester home and inviting Tommy Rivera, a boy in her class, to move in and start the Communist Revolution with her. The targets of her righteous anger are her dad, Mark, a self-made venture capitalist hell-bent on proving to her that having money doesn’t automatically make you a bad person, and her mom, Caroline, whose true stances on the issues are overshadowed by her desire to make everyone get along. Parents vs. kids, house vs. tent, capitalism vs. communism: the ultimate showdown ensues in this black comedy about rich white liberals whose desire to be “good” runs up against their own fragility.
The Directors
Nicole A. Watson
The Communist Revolution: A Ninth-Grade European History Project (There Will Be a Practical Demonstration)
The Actors
Click here to browse the bios of our cast members. You can also find the cast for each play on their playbill pages:
Zero by Ian August | Hyannis by Kari Bentley-Quinn | Truth Be Told by William Cameron | Those Days Are Over by David Hilder | The Communist Revolution... by Grace McLeod
The Playwriting Workshop
Writing Across the Distance
Join ANPF Host Playwright Beth Kander and the 2020 winning playwrights for a workshop that will help you find the inspiration to write even when the world around us is unpredictable at best. Join the Zoom session ready to write, with pen-and-paper in hand and your favorite writer-fuel to sip on at your side.
Each Fall Festival, our ANPF Host Playwright and the winning playwrights come together for a writing-intensive workshop where each playwright shares insights into their pathways and processes, helping you take the next steps in your own playwriting journey! All writers are welcome ~ poetry, non-fiction, fiction ~ all will find information of interest.
Sunday, October 18, 3:00-5:00 pm PT
Class will be held through Zoom
$10+ (sliding scale, no additional fees)
Tickets & Schedule
We are presenting our virtual Fall Festival through a streaming platform that allows audiences to tune in easily. All that's required for viewing is an internet connection and a laptop or smart device upon which to watch it. Want to see it on your TV? Click here.
Your ticket will be emailed to you and include your personal link to the livestream you selected. When you click the link on the date of the performance you will be taken directly to our virtual performance hall. We look forward to welcoming you!
Our sliding scale options absorb the processing fees so what you see is what you get for ticket prices.
View our virtual playbill here.
***NOTE***If you wish to add multiple readings to the same order, follow these instructions: After you click Get Tickets below, you will be taken to your order page on ShowTix4U.com. Choose your price point and click Check Out - this will add that ticket to your cart. From that same page you will see a tab at the top that reads "All Current Events." Click that and you will see all our shows, which you can then also add to your cart.
Sunday, October 18
Writing Across the Distance
Playwriting Workshop
3:00-5:00 pm PT
$10+
(Sliding scale, no additional fees)
Sunday, October 18
Winning Playwrights Welcome
5:30-6:30 pm PT
Free
-
Wednesday, October 21
Truth Be Told
by William Cameron
7:30 pm PT
$10+
(Sliding scale, no additional fees)
Thursday, October 22
Hyannis
by Kari Bentley-Quinn
4:00 pm PT
$10+
(Sliding scale, no additional fees)
Thursday, October 22
Those Days Are Over
by David Hilder
7:30 pm PT
$10+
(Sliding scale, no additional fees)
Friday, October 23
The Communist Revolution...
by Grace McLeod
4:00 pm PT
$10+
(Sliding scale, no additional fees)
Friday, October 23
Zero
by Ian August
7:30 pm PT
$10+
(Sliding scale, no additional fees)
Saturday, October 24
Truth Be Told
by William Cameron
1:00 pm PT
$10+
(Sliding scale, no additional fees)
Saturday, October 24
Those Days Are Over
by David Hilder
4:00 pm PT
$10+
(Sliding scale, no additional fees)
Saturday, October 24
Hyannis
by Kari Bentley-Quinn
7:30 pm PT
$10+
(Sliding scale, no additional fees)
Sunday, October 25
Zero
by Ian August
1:00 pm PT
$10+
(Sliding scale, no additional fees)
Sunday, October 25
The Communist Revolution...
by Grace McLeod
4:00 pm PT
$10+
(Sliding scale, no additional fees)
ANPF 2020 Playwrights on the Podcast
Play4Keeps Podcast | Diving In: A Conversation with William Cameron and Grace McLeod
Play4Keeps Podcast | I love a four-letter word: A conversation with Ian August and David Hilder
Play4Keeps Podcast | Angry/Funny and Angry/Sad: A Conversation with Kari Bentley-Quinn and Callie Kimball
We Also Congratulate Our ANPF 2020 Finalists
Alan Brody for The Kistiakowsky Affair
Ian Cohen for Old Wounds
Steven Haworth for Monkey in the Shade
Lisa A. Mammel for (W)hole
Mike Solomonson for The Goodbye Levee
Sarah Tuft for Abigail
Rob Zellers for The Red Cat
Testimonials
Joshua Rebell
It’s hard to know where to begin when talking about how amazing an experience ANPF is. I’m tempted to start with the moment I arrived in Ashland, but the months leading up to ANPF - the preparations and the conversations with Kyle and Jackie
are almost as exciting – as you see how much time, thought and care go into the festival.
Once you’re in Ashland, the ride really begins as you’re welcomed into a large and supportive ANPF community already familiar with your play, and wanting to talk to you about it. I chose to do a lot of work on my play during the week, and was met
with an incredible amount of support and encouragement from a top notch director and cast who all gave 24/7 - really allowing me to take the play where I wanted it to go. The week is, of course, topped off by the readings and the talkbacks, led by a
terrific host playwright – who is all about helping the playwrights get as much feedback as they need. Oh, and it’s also pretty cool getting coffee and drinks all week with three other playwrights whose work you find so inspiring.
I can’t say enough about ANPF. If there is such a thing as playwright heaven, this is
it!
Joshua Rebell
The Night Climber, ANPF 2019
Omission, ANPF 2012
Michael Gotch
ANPF was a wonderful experience. Setting aside for a moment the honor of being chosen as a winner, the entire artistic and support staff of the festival was top notch from notification through our week together in beautiful Ashland, Oregon. New plays need ears to hear them, and the ANPF audience—made up of passionate readers, committed board members, industry professionals and a host of savvy theatre goers—were enthusiastic, insightful, and supportive listeners. It's not every day as a playwright you encounter such an energized and smart group of people who have dedicated themselves to giving new works the best possible debut. Their contribution to my own work and the work we all do in keeping theatre vital and relevant cannot be overstated.
Michael Gotch
Starter Pistol, ANPF 2019
Thomas Brandon
Being an Ashland New Play Festival winning writer was surreal in the best possible way. Writers are used to working solo, suffering alone through the agonies of the creative process. But being a part of ANPF meant that I suddenly was surrounded by a team – all brilliant, all subsuming their considerable talents to our common task: helping me make the play better today than it was yesterday. And far from feeling like I was a cog in a large machine that manufactured readings, I felt like the entire process of ANFP was designed to curate itself to my needs and the needs of my play. It was an altogether too rare, completely charming experience. And one the kind of communal joy that I hope every writer, typing alone in a quiet room, gets to experience one day.
Thomas Brandon
Pocket Universe, ANPF 2021
TyLie Shider
My friends in the theater at ANPF generously supported the development of Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family from rehearsals to the virtual stage. Theirs is a singular kind of advocacy any playwright would be blessed to experience. Thank you for thinking of me and my work.
TyLie Shider
Certain Aspects of Conflict in the Negro Family, ANPF 2021
Meghan Brown
I had a blast as an Ashland New Play Festival playwright. The care and consideration put into the festival was consistently clear — this is a group of people who truly put the play (and playwright!) first, and are committed to crafting an environment where artistry can thrive. I couldn’t have been happier with my creative team, or with the communicative, accommodating, administrative staff. ANPF is a special organization doing incredible work, and I cannot speak highly enough of its process of new play development.
Meghan Brown
What Happened While Hero Was Dead, ANPF 2021
Blake Hackler
What a gift what a gift what a gift! Ashland New Play Festival is a true oasis for playwrights, and an experience to cherish. From first contact, I felt taken care of, respected, and encouraged to do my best work. My fellow playwrights were inspirational, kind, and generous with their insights and feedback. The artistic team assembled to work on my play could not have been bettered.
But the real prize of the festival was the community. The depth and breadth of their engagement with the process from beginning to end was truly astonishing – to have a talkback with a hundred people who have read your play MULTIPLE TIMES!!!!!!!! What?!!?!?!?!?! If my punctuation is a little hysterical, so be it. The people of the Ashland New Play Festival – all of them – every one – deserve all the exclamation points I can throw at them. It was an honor to be in their presence.
Blake Hackler
What We Were, ANPF 2017
David Johnston
The experience was rejuvenating, artistically satisfying and fun. The actors, directors and collaborating artists are top shelf. I had twelve hours of rehearsal to dig into the play and try to figure out what I had written! The community that has built up around the festival is extraordinary. I have rarely come across a theater-going community as passionate and engaged as the members, audiences and volunteer readers of Ashland. This was particularly meaningful to me, as this play had been sent out to numerous festivals and conferences in the past three years, with no luck. That a volunteer panel of readers picked it blind means a great deal to me.
David Johnston
Pelicans, ANPF 2019
Emily Feldman
I enjoyed getting to see Ashland for the first time, meeting some lovely actors and directors from all over the country and feeling the love and support of the whole community at both of my readings. I left the week with my spirits bolstered and with warm feelings about the vibrant Ashland theater community. I also must mention the beautiful and bountiful gift bags we received upon arrival! Thank you to everyone who makes this week possible and hope to see you all again soon!
Emily Feldman
Go. Please. Go., ANPF 2017
Callie Kimball
My time in Ashland was meaningful and productive, as well as a ton of fun! It was great to be in the room with such generous theater artists, who all worked hard to bring my play to gorgeous life. A huge part of what made the week so worthwhile was connecting with my fellow playwrights and spending time with my director talking about process and our respective experiences. I felt thoroughly supported through the entire week and am so grateful for the many resources I was given. I hope I can return one day!
Callie Kimball
Sofonisba, ANPF 2017
Michael Gotch
New plays need ears to hear them, and the ANPF audience–made up of passionate readers, committed board members, industry professionals and a host of savvy theatre goers–were enthusiastic, insightful, and supportive listeners.
It's not every day as a playwright you encounter such an energized and smart group of people who have dedicated themselves to giving new works the best possible debut. Their contribution to my own work and the work we all do in keeping theatre vital and relevant cannot be overstated.
Michael Gotch
Starter Pistol, ANPF 2019
Thank You to Our Grantors
