2026 Plays in Progress Salon Series

Annie, Mary, Frances

written by Betsy Hanson

directed by Shana Bestock

The Story:

In January 1946 three strangers meet in a Chicago train station during a blizzard. At first the three women (all born in the late 1890’s) are uncomfortable with each other as they note their different backgrounds, but gradually they share stories that illuminate their common experiences and struggles as women, wives, and mothers. Based on biographical information about the grandmothers of the playwright and her actor collaborators, Carrie Schnelker and Carol Sage-Silverstein.

Performances:

Friday, May 1, 2026 at 7:30 PM

Content information:

adult themes of loss, prejudice and violence

Please select a performance

Fri, May 1st, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Welcome to The Shattered Glass Project and our Radical Hospitality* ticketing model.

You are encouraged to choose the ticket price that fits your needs.

$5 Inclusion
$25 General Admission
$50 Patron
$75 Benefactor

Ticketing for the 2026 Plays in Progress offers the same pricing level as other shows. If you need a comp, please contact us at info@shatteredglassproject.org and we will send you a code for a free ticket.

*Our gratitude to Sound Theatre and Teresa Thuman for the creation of the Radical Hospitality ticketing model!

Venue Information and Accessibility:

The MLK FAME Center is a retired elementary school built between 1916-1957. The parking lot is currently unstriped - the most accessible spots are near the fence bordering Republican St. The front door does not have an automated opener - there will be an usher in the main lobby to assist with opening the door on the day of show. There is a ramp leading from the lobby to the main level of the building. An accessible restroom is located to the left of the ramp in the lobby. We will not have captioning available, but please let us know if it might be useful to have a copy of the script to support hearing needs.

What is the 2026 Plays in Progress Salon Series?

A series of staged readings, bringing audiences together with emerging local playwrights to share new plays, build connections and engage in conversation. This salon series specifically brings in plays from participants in our Incubator/Mentor programming. Features five new works of theatre which have never been presented to an audience before! Each play has one rehearsal and one performance, giving playwrights and directors an opportunity to work on a script-development project with a new creative partner in a casual environment.

Show run-times vary, but if the performance is longer than 90 minutes there will be one 10 minute intermission. There will be a post-show discussion after each staged reading, following a short break.