ScriptWorks

May 2026 Salon

cjmoore — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 21:37:03 +0000

SHOWSTOPPER by Angela J. Latham

Sunday, May 31 at 6:30 PM

Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd St.

Joy grew up with lots of rules, including ones against showbiz. Somehow, she ends up with a career in theatre anyway. SHOWSTOPPER takes place in a theatre where Joy and younger versions of herself reprise and/or watch the unlikely performances that led to her agency and artistry. The play takes inspiration from the words of Patti Smith, “You have to live your whole life continuously.”

Angela J Latham is an author, theatre artist, and teacher. She moved to Texas in 2022 to be near family and to have new creative adventures. Naturally, she joined ScriptWorks as soon as she got to town. Before that, she was a professor of theatre and performance studies in the Chicago area for many years. Her essays and performance texts have appeared in Theatre Journal, Performance Matters, Streetlight, Contrary, Dress: Journal of the Costume Society of America (in press), and others. She is the author of Posing a Threat: Flappers, Chorus Girls and other Brazen Performers of the American 1920s.

Angela performed an abbreviated, solo version of SHOWSTOPPER in FronteraFest 2025.

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OUT OF INK 2026: Astronomical

cjmoore — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:02:21 +0000

ScriptWorks 28th Annual Short Play Showcase
Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd St.
April 30-May 2 & May 7-9 at 8 PM
Tickets: $15-$50, get your seats HERE!
Pay-What-You-Wish tickets available April 30 at the door

Blast off into a galaxy where forgotten dreams collide with faces from history and the vast mysteries of the cosmos. Those are the core themes of this year’s OUT OF INK 2026: Astronomical. This varied collection of ten-minute plays reveals ScriptWorks members’ creative renderings of three mandatory script ingredients that provided inspiration during the Weekend Fling 48-hour writing event in the fall.

This year, Playwright and Educator Ramon Esquivel, Actor and Playwright Rodney Hicks, and Austin Playhouse Artistic Director (and inaugural Out of Ink cast member), Lara Toner Haddock, provided the following ingredients:

1) Include someone waking up from a dream
2) Feature a historical figure in disguise
3) Reference an astronomical object

At the end of the Weekend Fling, the plays were read in a ScriptWorks Salon. A selection committee consisting of long-time Out of Ink cast member, Roxy Becker; writer/director, Zell Miller, III, and actor/producer Giselle De La Rosa, chose eight plays for production in Out of Ink from the nearly forty plays that were submitted.

The selected scripts were written by Robin Anderson, Ava Love Hanna, Christine Hoang, Max Langert, Pablo Muñoz-Evers, Briandaniel Oglesby, Kleo James Ryan, and Meret Slover.

The plays will be performed by an ensemble of actors comprised of Lowell Bartholomee, Zac Carr, David DuBose, Shannon Grounds, Alani Henry, Brennan Patrick, Eliza Renner, Minerva Villa, Juleeane Villarreal, and Johanna Whitmore.

They’ll be directed by Lowell Bartholomee, Stephanie Crugnola, Lacey Cannon Gonzales, Ellie McBride, Christina J. Moore, and Trace Turner. Designers for the project are Lowell Bartholomee (sound/video), Pam Friday (costumes), Amy Lewis (lights), and Monroe Oxley (sets/props).

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April 2026 Salon

cjmoore — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 21:35:23 +0000

LIFE 101* by Christine Hoang

Sunday, April 26 at 6:30 pm

901 Trinity St., Fellowship Hall

LIFE 101 follows a class of public high school students as they research, write, and deliver their LIFE 101 end-of-course presentations on “What I want to be when I’m an Adult.” Matthew Vo will read the role of the LIFE 101 teacher. Teen actors from local high schools LASA, McCallum, and Zach Academy will read the roles of the LIFE 101 students. They are Luke Goldby, Vanessa Hoang Hughes, Isadora Lang, Penelope Lang, Oscar Lopez, and Olivia Montoya.

Christine Hoang is a playwright, screenwriter, and mom of a teenager. She is developing LIFE 101 because teens are inspiring muses and cool collaborators. Plus – in the words of the great Whitney Houston – they are our future.

*LIFE 101 was created with the support of a ScriptWorks Groundworks Grant.

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Wrighting Plays: Strategies for Revising Scripts

cjmoore — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 22:31:20 +0000

A Dramatis Personae Workshop with Ramón Esquivel
Monday, March 30th, 7:00 -8:30 PM CST

Admission: $15-$35 CLAIM YOUR SEAT

ONLINE

The heart of playwriting is the revising process, when a playwright works and reworks dialogue, stage directions, and beats to refine and sharpen moments of drama. Yet most writing workshops and books focus only on generating story ideas and writing a first draft, leaving writers on their own for the most important, and enjoyable, part of creating new work. In this workshop for writers of all experience levels, playwright Ramón Esquivel will share his strategies and approaches for revising plays for second and third drafts and beyond. How do we distinguish characters and their dialogue? How can structure help us problem solve? When do we break from structure? How and why do we edit and cut? To practice these strategies, workshop participants are encouraged to bring a few pages of dialogue from their own works in progress, or they can work from some sample dialogues that will be provided.

ABOUT RAMÓN ESQUIVEL

Ramón Esquivel is a playwright, director, dramaturg, and educator. Originally from Seattle and now based on the Central Coast of California, Ramón has built strong connections with Texas theatres, schools, and arts organizations. His plays that have been produced or shared in Texas include Dulce at Scottish Rite Theatre and the Austin Latinx New Play Festival (Teatro Vivo), Luna at ZACH Theatre and the University of Texas at Austin, The Hero Twins: Blood Race at UT and Magik Theatre in San Antonio, ZEQ at the Austin Latinx New Play Festival, and The Hummingbird’s Wedding and 2000 Miles at Life Is Shorts / La Vida Es Cortos Festival at TEATRX in Houston. Ramón recently completed a playwright-in-residency at Marfa High School through Marfa Live Arts. Recent works include Show Me the Gates of Heaven, commissioned by Thrown Stone Theatre (Connecticut); Fallenstar: The Watchoverers, commissioned and produced by New Native Theatre (Minnesota); The Girl Who Talks to Spiders, commissioned by University of Central Florida and Orlando Repertory Theatre; Watching for Sasquatch: An Environmental Play of Plays, created through a research grant from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo; and ¡O Cascadia!, which was developed at the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference and Seattle Repertory Theatre’s Writers Group. Ramón’s plays are available through Dramatic Publishing, including in the anthologies, Palabras del Cielo: An Exploration of Latina/o Theatre for Young Audiences, Pieces of Mind: Ten Plays About Mental Health for Teens; I Have a Story: Plays from an Extraordinary Year; and New Visions/New Voices: 25 Years/25 Plays at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He is currently Assistant Professor of Theatre, Playwriting at Cal Poly. MFA Creative Writing, University of Texas at Austin; MA Educational Theatre for Colleges & Communities, New York University; BA History, Yale University.

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March 2026 Salon

cjmoore — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 21:32:56 +0000

RELAX, THE SIMULATION IS PAINLESS by Robin Anderson

Sunday, March 29th at Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 49th St.

Start-up culture. Young romance. Questionable ethics. What could possibly go wrong?

Robin Anderson (she/her) has been a member of ScriptWorks for nearly 10 years. In that time, she’s had plays produced in three Out of Ink showcases (2018, 2019, and 2022), with another slated for inclusion in this year’s Out of Ink as well. She’s also had short fiction published in The Rio Review (Austin Community College) and KINDRED CHARACTERS (Lark & Owl Booksellers). Occasionally, she writes and performs songs with an all-women band through Girl Guitar, a local music school. In addition to writing, Robin enjoys cooking, nature walks, and devouring too much social media. “Thank you, Christi and ScriptWorks!”

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February 2026 Salon

cjmoore — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 21:28:44 +0000

YOU DON’T REALLY WANT TO KNOW by Liz Ross
Sunday, February 22nd at 6:30 PM
Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd St.

You Don’t Really Want to Know is a drama rooted in the impact dementia and caregiving have on relationships. It is based on the playwrights’ real-life experiences.

Liz Ross (she/they) is the Executive Director of TUBU Fest, a disability short fringe theatre festival. They recently directed two ScriptWorks Commission pieces for FronteraFest – How to Grow a Man by Nicole Cortichiato and Seize Me by Liz Ross. In 2010, they graduated with a BFA in theatre performance and production from Texas State University. In 2024, they received their Masters in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine from AOMA. They have experience in theatre, radio, film, games, politics, and healthcare. Liz is currently working towards their ASL Cert from ACC. Thank you so much for coming to support new works.

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January 2026 Salon Postponed to February 1

cjmoore — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 21:26:55 +0000

LIN MIRANDA, CAN YOU HEAR ME? by Carl Gonzales
Sunday, February 1 at 6:30 PM (moved from January 25 due to inclement weather)
Ground Floor Theatre, 979 Springdale Rd., #122

LIN MIRANDA, CAN YOU HEAR ME? is about 5 Latin actors trying get Lin-Manuel Miranda to produce their work. Or maybe it’s about White Supremacy. ¿Por qué no los dos?

Carl Gonzales is a Mexican/Indigenous Director, Playwright, and Actor. Recent directing credits include Clyde’s (B Iden Payne winner, Ground Floor Theatre), Anna In The Tropics (B. Iden Payne award winner, Ground Floor Theatre), Tick Tick… Boom (TexArts), Dulce (Austin Scottish Rite Theatre), and The Brunch Crowd (Texas State University). Most recently, Carl’s play Mom and Pop was chosen for Jarrott Productions’ Opening Act Initiative. Coming up next, Carl will be directing Dillon Chitto’s Pueblo Revolt with Ground Floor Theatre.

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FRONTERAFEST 2026 LAUNCHES NEXT WEEK

Max Langert — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 23:14:39 +0000

FronteraFest, the five-week-long performance festival that ScriptWorks co-produces with Hyde Park Theatre returns next week with performances starting January 13th. The Short Fringe, for pieces 25 minutes or less occurs at Hyde Park Theatre, with four to five shows performing a night. All shows start at 8 PM. We commission four pieces for the Short Fringe, that appear weekly on Wednesday nights. Every year, several of our members are involved in FronteraFest. Below are the members participating in the Short Fringe this year. Mi Casa es Su Teatro also returns this year on February 7th so stay tuned for more information about that. For the full festival line-up and to purchase tickets visit Hyde Park Theatre.

Tuesday, January 13th

Drawings: Scenes of Life, drawn, written, and performed by Marla Porter. The Three-Eyed Sun was written and recorded by Hank Schwemmer.

The Voyager, Unplugged, by Alex Garza. In his latest solo performance, actor and writer Alex Garza performs his original songs. He accompanies himself on a guitar, which he can’t really play, but he tries. He also performs short monologues based on his true-life experiences that inspired the songs. Describing events from his life, ranging from his rocky teenage years to his sometimes rocky, but hopeful adult years, he sincerely shares through song the hills and valleys of his journey.

Wednesday, January 14th

Unknowing by Meredith Hoffman (and cocreators TBD). Unknowing, a one-act play, is a magical realism story about four reunited college friends who must flee Texas for Mexico to escape their nation’s authoritarian leader—and who discover ecstatic dance can transport them in their migration.

How to Grow a Man by Nicole Cortichiato. (ScriptWorks Commission) An introductory course on the delicate art of growing a man. Soil, pots, and man seeds provided.

Fucking Rehearsal by Haley Malin. Two actors arrive for an emergency rehearsal of their play’s sex scene, only to discover their method-obsessed director’s plans go far beyond what they expect. The festival selection presents the explosive finale of Act 1.

Thursday, January 15th

12 Steps to a More Dysfunctional Part 5: This Time It’s Personal by Rob Nash. This year at FronteraFest, Rob presents Part Two of Dysfunctional 5, a one-man-nightmare of love, faith, sex, addiction, activism, and family denial. Mildred misses sex. Fred misses Marcus. Margot welcomes Matt, just in time for the surprise appearance of Tank, unseen for fifteen years. Reverend Bob struggles to keep his vows intact. Windsong races to raise ten million dollars for early childhood development while Moonbird commits to helping women cross state lines for safe abortion care. Ashley steals Billy’s gun. Father Freddie considers walking away from the priesthood. And the twins keep their secret as they stare at their unborn child on a sonogram.

One family. One night. No one gets out untouched.

Friday, January 16th

He Said, She Said, by Camden Factor. This fresh, young play cuts to the nerve of how truth gets forged in real time, who controls the narrative, and what happens when teenagers are pushed to choose not what’s true, but what’s survivable. In a world where status is fragile, attraction and power decide what accountability looks like after the “headline moment” passes—and what consequences remain. https://hesaid-shesaid.org/

Tuesday, January 20th

Texas Book of Beasts: Year of the Skink by Jeff Irvin. Comic melodrama where a twentysomething woman hero learns to organize diverse elements of the community (including the audience) to save the habitat of an endangered toad from a large development. With signs and clickers. Parental warning: implied amphibian sex.

Wednesday, January 21st

An Introduction to Software Development, by Nick Ivons (ScriptWorks Commission). Step into our world and learn how the sausage gets made.

The Inspector’s Gift, by Raymond V. Whelan. One pesky Montreal police officer intrudes upon a young married couple in their home during the October 1970 crisis which involved the Front Du Liberation Quebec, British Trade Commissioner James Cross, and Quebec Deputy Premier Pierre LaPorte.

One Day on the Camino, by Rupert Reyes, with Lesley Clark. In the summer of 2025, I walked a portion of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain and came across a pilgrim from England. It was a day of struggle, a day of empathy, a day of compassion, and a day of shared experiences. This is a moment I’ll never forget. I feel that the experience was an answer to a question that I am continuing to explore.

Thursday, January 22nd

Maria’s Breath, by Christian Huey. Short bio-play about the life of Belarusian political prisoner Maria Kalesnikava.

Friday, January 23rd

A Reunion, by Lance Elliot Osborne, Directed by Zell Miller III. On an early morning phone call, two former classmates—one Black, one White—reconnect for the first time in 50 years. What begins as a simple high school reunion invitation unfolds into an unflinching, tender conversation about race, memory, and what was left unsaid. A Reunion explores how old wounds, deep truths, and unexpected kinship can emerge in the most ordinary moments.

VERNAL ROOST, a short parable play by Candyce L Rusk. On the evening of the Vernal Equinox high above a gigundo H-E-B parking lot, sharp-tongued grackles convene and consider vengeance on the human beans below. VERNAL ROOST premiered at TUBU Fest (2025), was selected for Miami’s City Theatre’s curated short play reading series in October 2025, now returns with most of the original TUBU cast under the direction of Insha Iqbal.

Wednesday, January 28th

Seize Me, by Liz Ross (ScriptWorks Commission). Henly takes us on their journey with epilepsy from childhood to adulthood. She shines a light on the ripple effect her seizures have on those around her and how it impacts her relationships.

More Than Dirt, by Claire K. Redfield and Elizabeth Crecente. It’s been 20 years, Jen is back and ready to tell it all with her Harry Potter glow in the dark pen! Told in collage, journal entries, and comedic vignettes, More than Dirt is based on the true life and murder of high schooler Jennifer Crecente. This spring, catch the first glimpse of this original show devised in collaboration with Jen’s mother, Elizabeth Crecente, and an ensemble of Austin artists.

Thursday, January 29th

The Jane Byrne Stream of Conscience, by Raymond V. Whelan. The first female mayor of Chicago delivers her inaugural address in poetic fashion.

The Luddites, by Marty Shambles. A play about job automation.

Friday, January 30th

Real Americans, by Christa French and Laura Freeman. A satirical musical comedy wherein Modern American Man visits the circus!

Through the Woods, a staged reading written and performed by Pamela L. Paek and Tristan Young Mercado, narrated by Jonna Juul-Hansen. Some would call us over the hill, but we ain’t goin’ to grandmother’s house like the song says. We’re going where most won’t. We’re talking burning bridges and saying what needs to be said. In the ways things need to be said. You’ll learn what it takes to go through the woods. Get ready.

Tuesday, February 3rd

A Friendly Lady, by Max Langert. She used to be a category-five hurricane; now she’s a gentle breeze. The thirty years in between are a blur, and I’m not quite sure how we got here.

Context: A Handbook, by Hank Schwemmer. Solo storytelling, for better or worse.

I Loved You Ever, by Pablo Munoz-Evers. A moment of Hamlet, re-imagined.

Wednesday, February 4th

A Great Relief, by Andy Tate (ScriptWorks Commission). It’s 2046, and 75-year-old Don Fraser reckons he’s lived a full life. But how full is full enough? When the government starts offering old folks big bucks to check out early, to ease the strain on the national budget, Don finds himself grappling with the ultimate questions: What is a life well-lived? What’s it all for anyway? And why does cheesecake taste so damn good? Featuring Jeff Bush, Esther Park, Devon Ragsdale, and Kirk Scarbrough. Directed by Jason Sierra.

The Weight, by Norm Ballinger. Exploring relationship with a bag of sand.

Morris & The Road To Spirit – Satan’s POV, written, produced, and directed by Major Black. In this dark comedy, Satan tells the story of a wide-eyed boy from rural Mississippi who searches for himself, musical success, and the answers to life’s big questions. Of course, Satan has other plans for such a bright mind. (Not religious).

Thursday, February 5th

The Manhole, by Max Stern. A short play about a young man forced to face his past loves, traumas, and memories while bouncing a bathroom door at a local gay bar.

Are You Seeing Anyone? by Rhonda Kulhanek. With biting honesty and playful confidence, Rhonda takes aim at society’s quiet panic over a woman who’s been happily single for decades. Smart, self-aware, and unapologetically funny, she turns awkward curiosity into comedy.

Friday, February 6th

Spyder Bytes, by Brian Wittenbrook. An out-of-work actress and movie “scream queen” gets the opportunity to represent a revolutionary technology that could change the world. To get the job, she may have to give up a souvenir, a part of Hollywood legend James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder—and something much more important to her. Spyder Bytes stars LB Deyo, Kelly Hasandras, Danu Mara, and Brian Wittenbrook.

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December 2025 Salon (FF)

cjmoore — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 21:23:45 +0000

FRONTERAFEST PREVIEW
Sunday, December 14th at 6:30 PM
Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd St.

Join us as we preview these three Short Fringe pieces.

HOW TO GROW A MAN by Nicole Cortichiato
An introductory course on the delicate art of growing a man. Soil, pots, and man seeds provided.

Nicole Cortichiato is a writer with narcolepsy who resides on the edge of consciousness. You’ll find her napping in unusual places and making a creative life of joy and service despite her disability. She’s published numerous poems, plays, and children’s stories that blend fiction with reality and dark humor with optimism. She lives in Austin with her husband and two demanding corgis.

SEIZE ME by Liz Ross
Henly takes us on their journey with epilepsy from childhood to adulthood. She shines a light on the ripple effect her seizures have on those around her and how it impacts her relationships.

Liz Ross (she/they) got her BFA in theatre performance and production with a minor in creative writing from Texas State University in 2010. She received her Masters in Acupuncture and Herbal medicine in 2024. She’s pansexual nonbinary artist with epilepsy. Liz has worked on productions with UT Opera, Art Spark, Salvage Vanguard, Vortex, Ground Floor Theatre, Texas State University, 14/48, Frontera Fest, ACC, and more. She has experience in video games, film, radio, start ups and politics. She was a 2012 delegate for Obama where her hat for the 2012 DNC is now a permanent donation to the Smithsonian. She is the Executive Director and cofounder of award winning TUBU Fest, a disability short fringe theatre festival, a B. Iden Payne Award winner for ‘Game Night’ with TILT Performance Group, was a Board Member of KOOP Radio 91.7 where she hosted ‘The Sex Ed Show’ for 5 years.

ONE DAY ON THE CAMINO by Lesley Clark and Rupert Reyes
In the summer of 2025, I walked a portion of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain and came across a pilgrim from England. It was a day of struggle, a day of empathy, a day of compassion, and a day of shared experiences. This is a moment I’ll never forget. I feel that the experience was an answer to a question that I am continuing to explore.

Rupert Reyes, founding Artistic Director of Teatro Vivo and co-founder of the Latino Comedy Project, has been a ScriptWorks member for a long, long time. His plays have been produced throughout the United States and his co-written Children’s Play, Cenicienta, played the Kennedy Center and toured the US. Along with his wife, JoAnn, he continues to be involved with the Austin Chapter of American Pilgrims, attending national gatherings and introducing the Camino to other pilgrims. Summer 2026, he plans to take four grandchildren and his daughter on a portion of the Camino Portuguese.

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WEEKEND FLING ACTIVITIES 2025

cjmoore — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 22:16:31 +0000

The Weekend Fling, where members have 48 hours to write a ten-minute play using 3 contributed ingredients is around the corner. Whether you’re a member or a new play lover, there’s something for you:

The Fling Workshop: Shorter Isn’t Easier

An online Dramatis Personae Workshop with Gary Garrison (the man who wrote the books on ten-minute plays!)
Wednesday, November 19th, 7:30-9:30 PM
Sliding Scale: $15-$35
Info and Registration HERE

The workshop is open to members and the public.

Happy Hour Kickoff, Friday, November 21st, 5:30-7:30 pm (Central Market on North Lamar)

Members are invited to hang out and have a beer or a bite and hear the official reveal of the Fling ingredients

Member Write-Up, Saturday, November 22nd at 1:00 – 3:00 pm (Brewtorium near ACC Highland )

This month’s writing meet-up is the Fling Edition. Come write for an hour and hang out with other members in the throes of creativity.

The Fling Salon

Sunday, November 23rd at 5:30 pm
Hyde Park Theatre, 511 W. 43rd St.

The culmination of the Weekend Fling, the Fling Salon is where the 48-hour fruits of labor will be revealed. ScriptWorks will provide an ensemble of actors to cold-read the hot-off-the-printer scripts with casting on the spot. This Salon is open to the public so all are welcome!

Eight of the plays written in the Weekend Fling will be selected for production in our Out of Ink short play showcase in May at Hyde Park Theatre. You must be a member to write for the Fling and have your work considered for Out of Ink. Click on Memberships above to join.

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