The Theatre Workshop of Owensboro is bringing back its annual Summer Shorts Play Festival, featuring six original one-act plays selected from nearly 100 submissions from around the globe.
The 2025 event runs July 11-20 at the Trinity Centre on 5th Street. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at theatreworkshop.org or by calling 270-683-5333.
All six plays are world premieres and were chosen through a playwriting competition that drew submissions from as far away as Australia and England. Three of the selected scripts come from authors in the Owensboro area, according to Jason Bostwick, who serves on the selection committee and is also directing one of this year’s productions.
“This really puts Theatre Workshop of Owensboro on the map,” Bostwick said. “It makes us a world-known place — not just a little theatre in Owensboro, Kentucky. And it gives new actors and directors a chance to get involved.”
This year’s lineup includes:
- All Sales Final by Kevin Stuart Brodie, directed by Spencer Brister
- Dirty Little Secret by Jessica Dardeen, directed by Travis Flaim
- Going Up by Dan Borengasser, directed by Taylor Bristow
- Salt Water by F.J. Hartland, directed by Joshua Siegel
- Seahorse by Mike Quig, directed by Erin Morris
- Thank Thee, Ten by Molly Jasper, directed by Jason Bostwick
The plays range from 10 to 15 minutes each and span multiple genres. This year’s selection features four comedies and two dramas.
“They’re short, they’re to the point, and they’re really entertaining,” Bostwick said. “People are in for a treat.”
Two awards will be presented at the conclusion of the festival: a $1,000 prize for the highest-rated play, and a $500 audience choice award based on votes cast during performances. Winners will be announced after the final Sunday showing.
The festival is sponsored by The Owensboro Barbershop.
