2025 New Works Festival
About the Show:
543 submissions. 35 finalists. 5 nights! Join Trinity for our 3rd annual New Works Festival, where we celebrate the writings of fourteen emerging playwrights. Each staged reading is directed and performed by a group of local, San Diego-based artists.
Performing April 23 - April 27, 2024 at Trinity Theatre, 1640 Camino Del Rio North, Suite 129, San Diego, CA 92108
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
23 and Me and Me and Me
Written by Toby Inoue of Evanston, IL
5-7PM (TBD)
A young couple discover the mixed blessing of getting the family you always thought you wanted.
Swimming Off the Big Dock
Written by Phillip Middleton Williams of Palmetto Bay, FL
7-9PM (TBD)
Friends gather at their summer place on Grand Traverse Bay in Michigan on July 20, 1969. But there’s more going on besides the first moon landing. For some, it’s the beginning of a new life, and for others, it’s a time to examine how this group of ruling class rising young adults process the death of one of their own and the everyday hypocrisies that are a foundation of their way of life. One small step, indeed.
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Mick and Ernie Go to Therapy
Written by Mike Byham of Southlake, TX
5-7PM
Mick and Ernie are thieves who have just completed a job in North London. They duck into a psychological therapist’s office to hide from the police – who are hot on their heels. The therapist mistakes them for her next client and conducts a “couples counseling” session, revealing secrets and ultimately ending with a surprise.
Hazzard
Written by Kelleen Blanchard of Seattle, WA
7-9PM (TBD)
Based on a true story, Hazzard looks at the horrific murder of a young heiress at the turn of the century in Olalla Washington at the hands of Dr. Linda Hazzard- a famed Naturopathic Doctor that touted the fasting cure at her Sanitorium in Olalla Washington. When her monstrous exploits were discovered she was found guilty of manslaughter for killing at least 15 people for financial gain.
Friday, April 25, 2025
Dragonsbreath: The Video Game
Written by Austin Steinmetz of San Diego, CA
5-7PM (TBD)
“Laura loves fantasy books. I love video games. Dragonsbreath: The Video Game should be the perfect combination!” thought Justin as the clerk handed him the bag. “How bad at video games could Laura be?…No matter, I’m the best boyfriend ever!”
Road Buddy
Written by Sashank Kanchustambam of San Diego, CA
Jahnvi Ravikanth thought she was destined for success—until reality hit. After moving to Seattle with a part-time job and relentless auditions, nine months passed with no luck. Then, her long-term boyfriend dumped her. Broke and desperate for a break, she discovers Road Buddy, a carpool app, and reconnects with Marnus—the nerdy high school guy who’s now inexplicably hot. Their road trip home is filled with quirky encounters, self-discovery, and an unexpected bond. But the big question remains: Do they end up together?
Saturday, April 26, 2025
IFs (Imaginary Friends)
Written by Thomas J. Misurca of Los Angeles, CA
2-4PM (TBD)
A group of Imaginary Friends are released from service by their children. Before they fade into oblivion, they meet a group of elderly friends who can see them. But dealing with older friends has its challenges. Together they’ll do their best to recapture the magic of childhood.
This House Is Empty Now
Written by Sean Pomposello of Redding, CT
5-7PM
After dropping off their only daughter for freshman year at college, a couple drives home grappling with the bittersweet reality of their newly empty nest.
This Road in the Shape of My Spine
Written by Baylee Shlichtman of Santa Ana, CA
A man walks through a desert, going somewhere, searching for something. His concerned friend tags along, much to the man’s dismay. The two bicker about extinct animals, reminisce about Bjork, and encounter the divine as they try to relearn how to be there for each other after drifting apart.
Sunday, April 27, 2025
Craftsmen
Written by Wesley Preis of San Diego, CA
10AM-12PM (TBD)
Justin might be a good balloon artist, but he isn’t the best. He isn’t the best in California, he isn’t the best in Orange County, and now, he isn’t even the best in the very house where this six-year-old’s birthday party is taking place. “Craftsmen” is a play about camaraderie, jealousy, the versions of ourselves that we have and haven’t been, and the versions of ourselves that we fashion out of rubber.
Hamlet – Act V, Scene II, Take 2
Written by Roger Henry of San Diego, CA
12-2PM (TBD)
Even William Shakespeare didn’t always get it right on the first draft. What is now known as an iconic tragedy could have just as easily been a comedy; and what were ultra-modern references at the time may have gotten the axe to preserve the work’s timelessness by the final revisions. But did he make the right decisions in his edits? You decide, as you witness ‘Hamlet – Act V, Scene II, Take 2’.
Cringe
Written by Melissa Jordan Grey of San Diego, CA
2-5PM (TBD)
A fashion-backward professor, a high-maintenance best friend, and a stressed-out stylist walk into a boutique… and walk out changed forever. Between dating disasters, shapewear slip-ups, and one high-stakes dress catastrophe, this birthday girl glow-up spirals into a hilarious and heartfelt reckoning on resilience, reinvention, and the roads not taken. With rapid-fire wit and a Hacks-meets-Maisel energy, CRINGE skewers generational divides, Instagram culture, and the absurdity of modern romance. Because in the end, real confidence isn’t about fitting into the perfect outfit—it’s about realizing you were fabulous all along.
Bedtime at the Cottage
Written by Liz Leighton of New York, NY
5-7PM (TBD)
Having been held in a strange cottage for an indeterminate amount of time, Roberta and Charlotte are afraid to even speculate on the nature of the unknown entity that keeps them there. With limited resources and context at their disposal, the childlike hostages each express a different approach to the eerie happenings in this uncanny prison.
The Art of Tolerance and Forgiveness
Written by Lisa Balderston of San Diego, CA
In The Art of Tolerance and Forgiveness, two families are shattered during a tragic event that impacts them. In the aftermath, the families struggle to rise above their profound grief. This poignant play explores themes of love, prejudice, grief, gay marriage, and resilience, shedding light on the challenges of being LGBTQ+ and BIPOC in a world where hatred and violence persist.
Financial support is provided by the City of San Diego through the Commission for Arts and Culture.