MILWAUKEE — Renaissance Theaterworks is gearing up for its 12th annual Br!nk New Play Festival, a program dedicated to developing and promoting plays written by women in the Midwest.
The festival, happening May 16 and 17 in Milwaukee's Harbor View neighborhood, is the only program of its kind in the Midwest, according to Artistic Director Susan Fate.
"There's programs on both coasts, but we're unique in our area," Fate said.
Each year, the festival accepts submissions from women playwrights and people who identify as women across nine Midwestern states. Two plays are selected to be developed through a workshop process that provides playwrights with actors, a director, a dramaturg, and a stage manager.
"Playwrights need a place to incubate their work, and it's so easy to have your work live in your head or in a drawer," Fate said.
Watch: Renaissance Theaterworks brings Br!nk New Play Festival back for 12th year with new additions
The selected plays are then produced as staged reading world premieres during the festival weekend.
The need for a program like Br!nk is underscored by a stark industry reality.
"Only 20% of the plays produced in the United States are written by women," Fate said. "And women make up 70% of the theater audience and ticket purchasers."
This year's festival also features the Br!nk Briefs, a series of five fully staged 10-minute plays written in response to creative prompts. This year's prompts included "If you see a fork in the road, take it," "What you do for life," and "Come live with me and be my love." The brief plays will be performed at 3 p.m. on both festival days and are fully produced with props and actors.
The Br!nk New Play Festival takes place May 16 and 17 at Renaissance Theaterworks in Milwaukee's Harbor View neighborhood.
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