Local playwrights will have their full-length plays featured for first time at Stage Left Theater’s New Works Showcase

There’s something special about seeing a play or musical in its infancy, perhaps at the workshop stage or shortly after its premiere. There’s something extra special then about seeing the world premiere of a piece.

Seeing the world premiere of not one, but three pieces from local playwrights? That’s priceless.

Stage Left Theater, known for putting the spotlight on new and experimental works, will premiere three full-length, fully realized productions with sets by Technical Director James Landsiedel from Spokane-based writers during its New Works Showcase.

“Boxes” by Pam Kingsley runs Friday through Sunday. “Don’t Cry for Them” by Joy Simmons runs April 25 through 27 and Misty Shipman’s “Tiny Musical” runs May 2 through 4.

Past Stage Left seasons have included opportunities for local writers to present their work, like events for one-page and 10-minute plays, but Artistic Director Dahveed Bullis said this New Works Showcase is the first of its kind to debut full-length plays from local artists.

“From my own experience as a playwright, if you’re relegated to only being allowed to be seen 10 minutes at a time, it’s hard to feel like you have a voice,” he said. “Getting to put on a full-length play written by somebody local is a very real way for a theater to say ‘Your voice matters, and your voice is valuable to the community, and it’s valuable to us.’ ”

The Stage Left team put out a call for plays and received enough submissions to fill five showcases, Bullis said. The three works picked highlight some of the cultural and generational diversity among the playwriting scene in the Inland Northwest. Each play differs in topic and style as well.

Kingsley’s “Boxes” focuses on married couple Brigid “Beep” Shea (Jean Hardie) and Rooney Shea (Maeve Griffith). Beep has early onset Alzheimer’s, and Rooney is on a new path of their own. During the show, which also stars Bridget Pretz (Megan “Megs” Shea), Preston Loomer (Mike Reiser) and Henry Olson (Dexter), the family opens up about things that have long gone unacknowledged.

“Boxes” is directed by Susan Hardie. The slice-of-life play began as a 10-minute piece for Spokane Civic Theatre’s Playwright Forum Festival in 2022, where it won an audience choice award. Many of the comments she received during that festival asked for the play to be longer, so she gladly spent more time with her characters and expanded their story using personal experience.

Kingsley returned to Spokane eight years ago after caring for her father after her mother passed away. Her mother and her father experienced dementia before they passed.

“That kind of thing affects you very deeply,” she said.

She also found inspiration through personal experiences for Rooney’s character, but that character’s story will be revealed during the show.

“That’s our job as playwrights,” she said. “We don’t talk about that enough. We are to hold the mirror up to life. Our work is to do something in words about the world we’re living in.”

Bullis, who had seen the 10-minute version of “Boxes,” said the play floored him with its bravery to have such timely, judgment- and pretension-free discussions.

The second play in the showcase, “Don’t Cry for Them,” is a science fiction play by Simmons in which Hannah (Emma Woodward-Hendricks) must decide what to do about her dying father Walter (Tom Sanderson). Centuries after that decision, scientists discover the source of an unusual power anomaly.

Without giving too much more away, Simmons said her play is about cryogenics and asks a lot of questions about what it means to be gone from the world. “Don’t Cry for Them” also stars Grace Nall (Speaker R), Jackson McMurray (Science Officer J), Julie Knight (Leader P) and Katie Preston (Leader K) and is directed by Kearney Jordan.

Simmons said much of her playwriting focuses on the experience of being human, but this play marks her first time adding a science fiction twist to the work.

“My goal when I write plays is I typically like to take experiences that people can’t imagine themselves ever having and situations that people can’t imagine themselves ever being in and then I try my hardest to get people to put themselves in those shoes,” she said.

Simmons’ piece, which centers on the relationship between a father and a daughter, became more personal to her than she intended when her stepfather passed away unexpectedly during production.

“I wrote the play at a time when I had several healthy parents, and then very suddenly in the middle of production, I had suffered that loss that I had never experienced,” she said. “It was really interesting seeing how my own perspective changed, and then seeing how it influenced my writing and the way that I watched the show.”

Bullis said “Don’t Cry for Them” is “exceptionally written” and manages to make a science fiction piece feel human, believable and engaging.

Last but not least, Shipman’s “Tiny Musical” tells the tale of Tony (Jaz Vega), who directs avant-garde theatrical productions. When presented with the opportunity to rewrite “Seven Wives for Seven Lovers,” she has a plan to impress Spokane audiences with a new feminist message rather than the sexist one the original musical is known for. The pressure is on for Tony’s rewrite to be a success, as the theater is on life support.

The musical also stars Jack Rodewald (Paul), Lily Savage (Darlene), Scott Larsen (Scott), Tom Sanderson (Bill), Deborah Brooks (Marigold), Pearl Wollenhaupt (Izzy), Kolya Gonzalez-Wiler (Brian), Amanda Sullender (Maddie/Reporter) and Maile Quisano (Claire). It’s directed by Joseff Pentico. Sullender is the health reporter at The Spokesman-Review.

Bullis said “Tiny Musical” is a mockumentary, a rare format for a theatrical piece to take.

“ ‘Tiny Musical’ manages to really bring you into its world, and you get to see the inside working of a musical, while also being entertained by it as a musical,” he said. “That’s really a unique experience, and it’s joyfully esoteric in the way that only Misty Shipman can do.”

Three fully realized plays at once is, in a word, daunting, but this New Works Showcase is part of Bullis’ commitment to not only tell new stories at Stage Left, but also to tell stories the playwrights can see brought to the stage.

“Why do a new works showcase when you can be a new works house?” Bullis said. “That’s just a little taste of my vision.”