3rd Annual Theatre Lab FEST
May 16-20, 2024
at Charlotte Street Foundation
3333 Wyoming St, Kansas City, MO 64111
All events are FREE to attend and participate!
Join Kansas City Public Theatre for the 3rd Annual Theatre Lab FEST, a celebration of our city’s playwriting talent! Over the course of the festival weekend, audiences can attend nightly performances of the premiere production of The Head of Medusa, new play-in-development readings, AND participate in several interactive events such as a playwriting jam and 5-page fringe! ALL are welcome to attend and participate!
Festival Schedule
Thursday, May 16
7:30pm –THE HEAD OF MEDUSA Preview
Friday, May 17
6:00pm –Their Own Devices Book Release Reception
7:30pm –THE HEAD OF MEDUSA OPENING NIGHT
(Opening Festival Reception to Follow)
Saturday, May 18
1:00pm –5-Page Fringe
3pm – “Tamale Season” by Gary Enrique Bradley Lopez (Reading and Talkback)
5-7pm – Tamale Social with KC Tamale Kitchen
7:30pm –THE HEAD OF MEDUSA
9:00pm –Playwriting Jam
Sunday, May 19
1pm –Playwright’s Roundtable
3pm –”Besties” by Emma Carter (Reading and Talkback)
7:30pm –THE HEAD OF MEDUSA
Monday, May 20
7:30pm – THE HEAD OF MEDUSA, Industry Night
Featured Production
The Head of Medusa is a music fueled re-imagining of the mythological monster Medusa as she calls for justice following a violent encounter with the god Poseidon.
Written by Kitty Corum and Emmy Panzica-Piontek
Music, Lyrics, and Direction by Nathan Bowman
General Admission is FREE at the door.
A limited number of reservations may be purchased in advance. All reservations come with a complimentary beverage and souvenir cup!
PLAY-IN-DEVELOPMENT READINGS
Tamale Season
by Gary Enrique Bradley-Lopez
Angel comes back from college and nonchalantly surprises his mom and Abuelita with news that he has a girlfriend, from college, who just happens to be black. Linda has tensions with her son dating a black person because of the death of her father. Abuelita prepares dinner for them to meet Natasha, but surprises tear the evening apart and potentially relationships. Tamales, of course, are what helps the chaos.
Besties
by Emma Carter
Despite the different paths they’ve taken, five childhood friends reunite for a weekend in the wake of their leader’s unexpected divorce. The bonds that connect them are tested when old hurts resurface and long-held conflicts come to a head. Is there really such a thing as “best friends forever”?
Playwriting Jam
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! One play, A LOT of playwrights! Get ready for a good time!
We are asking any and all would-be playwrights to sign up for a spot and contribute their unique mark to a single script! The writing will take place over the weekend of May 10-12. Each writer gets ONE HOUR to make their contributions to the play. The script will be read aloud by actors on Saturday, May 18 at 9:00 p.m.
5-Page Fringe
Any playwright can bring up to 5 pages of a script to hand out and have read aloud in front of an audience.
Kansas City Public Theatre 