Best of Fest Bill A

Tonight’s shows are listed in performance order. NOTE: THIS SAME BILL ALSO PLAYS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13.

This is a Bill A ticket.

Shadow Work, by Dale Markowitz. A traveling shadow puppeteer searches for the source of his creative block. Directed by Rebecca Maag, performed by Nick Ivons. 

He Said, She Said, by Camden Factor. This fresh, young play cuts to the nerve of how truth gets forged in real time, who controls the narrative, and what happens when teenagers are pushed to choose not what’s true, but what’s survivable. In a world where status is fragile, attraction and power decide what accountability looks like after the “headline moment” passes—and what consequences remain. More at HeSaid-SheSaid.org.

The Bench, by Beth Leckbee and Ritika Bhattacharjee. Nikita and Anne have a chance encounter on a park bench where Niki used to meet her late fiancé, a bench dedicated to Anne’s late best friend. The two women discover what it means to live vibrantly while contending with grief. The Bench is a witty, heart-warming musical about the love that fills the spaces left by the people who leave us, and how the only way through grief is through authentic, vulnerable connection.

A Great Relief, by Andy Tate (ScriptWorks Commission). It's 2046, and 75-year-old Don Fraser reckons he's lived a full life. But how full is full enough? When the government starts offering old folks big bucks to check out early, to ease the strain on the national budget, Don finds himself grappling with the ultimate questions: What is a life well-lived? What's it all for anyway? And why does cheesecake taste so damn good? Featuring Jeff Bush, Esther Park, Devon Ragsdale, and Kirk Scarbrough. Directed by Jason Sierra.

The Knuckleball Now, by The Knuckleball Now. Established 2004, these local legends of improvised comedy, the Knuckleball Now, bring their high-energy, fast-paced, smart scene work to life, based on audience inspiration.

Best of Fest Bill B

Tonight’s shows are listed in performance order. NOTE: THIS SAME BILL ALSO PLAYS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14.

This is a Bill B ticket.

Real Americans, by Christa French and Laura Freeman. A satirical musical comedy wherein Modern American Man visits the circus!

Unwitnessed: the Search for Identity After Leaving a Cult, written and performed by Michael Lovestrong. An account of a lifetime in a high-control religion and the road to authenticity after leaving.

Puck, in Epilogue by Amber Elby. A one-mortal play.

The Fighter and The Fawn, by Meredith Yarbrough. A dark romantic comedy told through movement and boxing. Penelope and Quentin, newly in love, have just moved in together, and moving in too are their overactive amygdalae (the survival part of the brain behind fight, flight, freeze, and fawn). When stress knocks out their rational minds, love takes a beating as the living room turns into a boxing ring and the amygdalae into unfiltered ringside announcers. A funny, physical dive into the absurdity and the pain of fighting with the person you are trying to love.

An Introduction to Software Development, by Nick Ivons (ScriptWorks Commission). Step into our world and learn how the sausage gets made.

Best of Fest Wild Card Night

Tonight’s shows are listed in performance order.

This is a Wild Card night ticket.

I’m Going to Touch You Now, by Madison Laird and Tracy Hooper. She is searching for hope. The doctor is searching for the cervix. All feels out of reach. Directed by Madison Laird, produced by Tracy Hooper.

What to Expect When You Were Expecting to Be Raptured, by Teresa Johnson. Some guy said the Rapture would happen in September 2025. There’s usually some guy saying things like that, but this time, some people believed him. Some woman tries to figure out why and what to do about it, through her relationship with God, her history in the Christian church, and her spoken word poetry. You may be enraptured—you won’t be raptured.

Confidence Lazzi 1: The Audition, by Elizabeth Doss. A new piece of dance and clowning that explores the hell and hilarity of auditioning for the part.

Sound Safari, by Neil Dorsey. Embark on an exploration of sound and absurdity. Join your host, Sir Raginoll Queffington, on an improvised music comedy expedition to discover true authentic sounds hidden within the audience and distill them into certified bangers.

Airplane Mode, by Erin Scott Kessler. A flight takes an unexpected turn into feminine resistance.

Tonight’s shows are listed in performance order. NOTE: THIS SAME BILL ALSO PLAYS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10.

This is a Bill A ticket.

Shadow Work, by Dale Markowitz. A traveling shadow puppeteer searches for the source of his creative block. Directed by Rebecca Maag, performed by Nick Ivons. 

He Said, She Said, by Camden Factor. This fresh, young play cuts to the nerve of how truth gets forged in real time, who controls the narrative, and what happens when teenagers are pushed to choose not what’s true, but what’s survivable. In a world where status is fragile, attraction and power decide what accountability looks like after the “headline moment” passes—and what consequences remain. More at HeSaid-SheSaid.org.

The Bench, by Beth Leckbee and Ritika Bhattacharjee. Nikita and Anne have a chance encounter on a park bench where Niki used to meet her late fiancé, a bench dedicated to Anne’s late best friend. The two women discover what it means to live vibrantly while contending with grief. The Bench is a witty, heart-warming musical about the love that fills the spaces left by the people who leave us, and how the only way through grief is through authentic, vulnerable connection.

A Great Relief, by Andy Tate (ScriptWorks Commission). It's 2046, and 75-year-old Don Fraser reckons he's lived a full life. But how full is full enough? When the government starts offering old folks big bucks to check out early, to ease the strain on the national budget, Don finds himself grappling with the ultimate questions: What is a life well-lived? What's it all for anyway? And why does cheesecake taste so damn good? Featuring Jeff Bush, Esther Park, Devon Ragsdale, and Kirk Scarbrough. Directed by Jason Sierra.

The Knuckleball Now, by The Knuckleball Now. Established 2004, these local legends of improvised comedy, the Knuckleball Now, bring their high-energy, fast-paced, smart scene work to life, based on audience inspiration.

Best of Fest Bill B

Tonight’s shows are listed in performance order. NOTE: THIS SAME BILL ALSO PLAYS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11.

This is a Bill B ticket.

Real Americans, by Christa French and Laura Freeman. A satirical musical comedy wherein Modern American Man visits the circus!

Unwitnessed: the Search for Identity After Leaving a Cult, written and performed by Michael Lovestrong. An account of a lifetime in a high-control religion and the road to authenticity after leaving.

Puck, in Epilogue by Amber Elby. A one-mortal play.

The Fighter and The Fawn, by Meredith Yarbrough. A dark romantic comedy told through movement and boxing. Penelope and Quentin, newly in love, have just moved in together, and moving in too are their overactive amygdalae (the survival part of the brain behind fight, flight, freeze, and fawn). When stress knocks out their rational minds, love takes a beating as the living room turns into a boxing ring and the amygdalae into unfiltered ringside announcers. A funny, physical dive into the absurdity and the pain of fighting with the person you are trying to love.

An Introduction to Software Development, by Nick Ivons (ScriptWorks Commission). Step into our world and learn how the sausage gets made.