The late Dan Schay in his final performance, Theater Works’ production of “The Quiltmaker’s Gift,” December 2015
Theater Works will pay tribute to Dan Schay, the company’s late executive director, by naming the 2016 New Works Festival in his memory. Dan, who died in April, was dedicated to providing new experiences for playwrights, actors and the community through the annual New Works Festival.
“Since I met him in 2007, development of new works at Theater Works was one of Dan’s passions. We produced more new work under Dan, than we had at any time in our past and he was the driving force behind the creation of the New Works Festival,” says festival director Richard Powers Hardt, who also serves on the theater’s board of directors and chairs its Artistic Committee. “In this year’s festival we are including some of Dan’s favorite playwrights and at the same time introducing the Valley to exciting young talents. I can think of no better way to let people know how much Dan meant to Theater Works than to name the New Works Festival after him.”
The Dan Schay New Works Festival celebrates the development of new theatrical work by playwrights Kirt Shineman, Luke Gomez, Richard Warren, Ben Tyler and Grant Woods, as well as three one-act plays by the winners of the Arizona Thespian Playworks Annual Young Playwrights Competition, from July 8-24. Each work will be performed as a staged reading. The plays include:
- “Junction Creek” by Kirt Shineman, July 8, 7 pm; July 9, 2:30 pm
- “The Love and Violence Trilogy” by Luke Gomez, July 9, 7 pm and July 10, 2:30 pm
- Three student one-acts by Arizona Thespian Playworks Annual Young Playwrights Competition winners, July 15, 7 pm and July 16, 2:30 pm (both performances are free)
- “In the Valley of the Sun” by Richard Warren, July 16, 7 pm and July 17, 2:30 pm
- “Sperm” by Ben Tyler, July 22, 7 pm and July 23, 2:30 pm
- “The Things We Do” by Grant Woods, July 23, 7 pm and July 24, 2:30 pm
Theater Works is located at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, 8355 W Peoria Ave, Peoria. Tickets for each performance are $12. The three one-act plays by Arizona Thespian Young Playwright Winners are free. For more information and tickets, visit theaterworks.org or call the box office at 623-815-7930.
