Readings & Discussions
Monday, June 9, 2025
All readings and discussions are FREE with registration.
PLAY READING
The Ensemble Theatre Premier Theatre Readings
Playwright Contest Winner
by TJ Young
Directed by Kelvin Douglas
MONDAY, JUNE 9
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
MATCH Gallery
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
Four childhood friends reunite for a weekend getaway in a high-class hotel suite, hoping to relive their youth. However, what starts as a nostalgic retreat quickly unravels into a tense confrontation when Marcus, the most unpredictable of the group, reveals a devastating request that shakes their brotherhood to its core: He wants his friends to help him end his life. As hidden truths and long-held grudges surface, each man is forced to confront the burdens of loyalty, morality, and mortality. Over the course of one stormy night, they must decide whether to honor an unbreakable childhood pact or walk away, knowing their choice could change everything.
PLAY READING
The Ensemble Theatre Premier Theatre Readings
Playwright Contest Winner
by Chris Eli Blak
MONDAY, JUNE 9
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
MATCH Gallery
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
In 1967 Texas, Gordon Brown becomes the first Black teacher at an all-white high school, stepping into a hostile environment where both students and faculty challenge his presence. As he navigates racial prejudice, power dynamics, and personal doubts, Gordon must decide whether to stand firm in his convictions or succumb to the pressures of a world that refuses to change. With his loving but strong-willed wife, Dolores, supporting him, and a rebellious student looking up to him, Gordon embarks on a journey that tests his resilience, forcing him to confront what it truly means to be an educator, a leader, and a man.
***THIS READING WILL BE HELD AT STAGES THEATRE***
PLAY READING
Getting to Know Morisseau
MONDAY, JUNE 9
7:30 PM to 10:30 PM
***STAGES THEATRE***
FREE ADMISSION
Experienced a staged reading highlighting Dominique Morisseau’s powerful storytelling through scenes from her acclaimed plays, exploring themes of social justice, identity, and family legacy. Highlighted scenes include Confederates, Detroit 67, Skeleton Crew, Pipeline, and Mud Row, part of the Stages 25/26 season.
This Fall Stages presents the Houston premiere of Dominique Morisseau’s Mud Row. As part of its participation in the Fade To Black Festival, Stages offers the Houston community a chance to become more familiar with or reengage with the works of one of America’s most produced contemporary playwrights.
Free to the Houston theatre going community, but reservations are preferred.
***THIS READING WILL BE HELD AT STAGES THEATRE***
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
PLAY READING
The Ensemble Theatre Premier Theatre Readings
Playwright Contest Winner
by Sidney Rushing
Directed by Sha'Na Smith
TUESDAY, JUNE 10
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Matchbox 1
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
On the South Side of a city where the past and present collide, two lifelong friends, Aberdeen and Netarine, spend their days sharing wisdom, gossip, and laughter from their usual bench. But as their community faces increasing hardship, they find themselves at odds with the changing world around them. When an opportunity arises to transform an abandoned building into a safe haven for at-risk children, their sisterly bond is tested as they struggle against red tape, financial barriers, and even their own personal histories. As they take on the system—and each other—they must determine what sacrifices they’re willing to make to ensure the next generation has a future.
PLAY READING
The Ensemble Theatre Premier Theatre Readings
Playwright Contest Winner
By Alma Christina Cottles
Directed by Curtis Von
TUESDAY, JUNE 10
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Matchbox 1
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
In 1961, young Bennett Perry and his pregnant wife, Dora Lee, flee the South after a violent Ku Klux Klan attack, seeking refuge on the road to California. Their journey takes them through the hostile landscape of Jim Crow America, where every stop is a gamble between safety and danger. When they are denied lodging at a "Whites Only" motel in New Mexico, Bennett is forced to make an impossible decision to protect his family. Through love, sacrifice, and defiance, Bennett’s past and present collide, challenging him to define what it truly means to be a man in the fight for civil rights.
***THIS READING WILL BE HELD AT THE ENSEMBLE THEATRE***
PLAY READING
The Ensemble Theatre Premier Theatre Readings
Playwright Contest Winner
Thirty
By Melba Beaty
Directed by Elieen Morris
TUESDAY, JUNE 10
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
**ENSEMBLE THEATER**
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
In 1961, young Bennett Perry and his pregnant wife, Dora Lee, flee the South after a violent Ku Klux Klan attack, seeking refuge on the road to California. Their journey takes them through the hostile landscape of Jim Crow America, where every stop is a gamble between safety and danger. When they are denied lodging at a "Whites Only" motel in New Mexico, Bennett is forced to make an impossible decision to protect his family. Through love, sacrifice, and defiance, Bennett’s past and present collide, challenging him to define what it truly means to be a man in the fight for civil rights.
***THIS READING WILL BE HELD AT THE ENSEMBLE THEATRE***
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
PLAY READING
The Ensemble Theatre Premier Theatre Readings
Playwright Contest Winner
By Clarence Holmes, Jr.
Directed by Vincent Victoria
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
MATCH Gallery
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
Selma, 1966. As the Civil Rights Movement reaches a fever pitch, a local church serves as both sanctuary and battleground. Mae, a determined activist, clashes with Sam, a cautious pastor, over the role of the church in the fight for voting rights. When Sheriff Foley, a staunch segregationist, tightens his grip on the town, the community must decide whether to stand their ground or surrender to oppression. Amidst personal conflicts and political threats, a young boy watches history unfold, wondering what kind of world he will inherit.
PLAY READING
The Ensemble Theatre Premier Theatre Readings
Playwright Contest Winner
By Zachariah Ezer
Directed by Manning Mott
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
MATCH Gallery
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
In the small town of Tell-Fara, New York, an aging former state officer, Harry Moore, struggles with dementia while clinging to the fading memories of his past. As he bonds with Patty Wilson, a retired stunt woman with a rare disorder that affects her breathing, they find solace in their shared history. Meanwhile, a tech startup is launching a revolutionary virtual reality experience designed to stimulate the minds of seniors. As the boundaries between memory and reality blur, Harry, Patty, and the young tech founders confront questions of identity, loss, and the stories we tell to keep ourselves alive.
***THIS READING WILL BE HELD AT THE ALLEY THEATRE***
PLAY READING
Alley Theatre Play Reading
Whitelisted
By Chisa Hutchison
Directed by Amber D. Gray
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM
**ALLEY THEATRE**
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
Gentrification gets a ghostly twist in this razor-sharp comedic horror play. When Rebecca moves into a historic Brooklyn brownstone, she discovers her new home has a soul of its own. With biting humor and supernatural suspense, this play unearths what happens when the past refuses to be erased.
***THIS READING WILL BE HELD AT THE ALLEY THEATRE***
Thursday, June 12, 2025
PLAY READING
The Ensemble Theatre Premier Theatre Readings
Playwright Contest Winner
By Ruth Bamenga
Directed by Steven Scott
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Matchbox 1
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
In the heart of Harlem during the 2020 pandemic, Libby’s—a dive bar barely holding itself together—becomes a sanctuary for its employees and patrons. As lockdowns threaten its survival, its owner and staff must grapple with financial ruin, personal struggles, and the shifting dynamics of their relationships. Junior, the bar’s dedicated manager, fights to keep the doors open while Mackson, the quick-witted bartender, looks for unconventional ways to save the place. Meanwhile, Isaias, the enigmatic bar owner, drifts between reality and nostalgia, guarding his own long-buried secrets. As the final night at Libby’s looms, friendships are tested, love is redefined, and the meaning of home is put to the ultimate test.
PLAY READING
The Ensemble Theatre Premier Theatre Readings
Playwright Contest Winner
Trains, Blue Gardenias, and White Daffodils
By Charity Clark-Anderson
Directed by Tazeen Zahida
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Matchbox 3
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
In a crowded train station in 2002, two estranged sisters unexpectedly reunite after twenty-seven years of silence. Jewel and Sarah, once inseparable, are forced to confront the secrets and betrayals that tore them apart. As their painful history unravels, memories of the past come to life—revealing a long-lost love, a devastating betrayal, and the weight of choices made in a world that favored beauty over integrity. While Jewel is haunted by the ghost of her deceased husband, Sarah holds onto a pain that has never healed. As past and present collide, they must decide if forgiveness is possible or if some wounds are too deep to mend.
PLAY READING
The Ensemble Theatre Premier Theatre Readings
Playwright Contest Winner
By Darien Mitchell
Directed by Christian Tannous
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
MATCH Gallery
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
In 1950s Mississippi, the rise of a powerful state senator’s campaign for governor is jeopardized when he is accused of murdering a young Black woman decades earlier. As the allegations surface, William Proctor, a ruthless politician with deep ties to the Jim Crow establishment, must navigate a storm of political maneuvering, racial tensions, and the ghosts of his past. As his political rival, George King, exposes hidden secrets, and the sheriff struggles with duty versus loyalty, Proctor’s carefully constructed world begins to unravel. Haunted—both figuratively and literally—by Althea Greaves, the woman whose life was taken, he is forced to confront a crime he could no longer bury.
***THIS READING WILL BE HELD AT THE ENSEMBLE THEATRE***
PLAY READING
The Ensemble Theatre Premier Theatre Readings
Playwright Contest Winner
In The Prophet’s House
By Reggie Edmunds
Directed by Rachel Dickson
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
**ENSEMBLE THEATRE**
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
Set in the early 1900s Jim Crow South, this haunting tale unfolds in the household of Reverend McHenry, a revered preacher harboring dark intentions. When Nadia and her son John—a boy with miraculous healing powers—arrive seeking work and refuge, their presence sets off a collision between faith and exploitation. As Reverend McHenry schemes to use John’s divine gifts for his own ambition, the boy's mother fights to protect her son from spiritual manipulation and the violence of a world eager to possess what it cannot understand. With the ghostly presence of a mysterious Woman in White and a soldier’s unlikely affection for Nadia, In the Prophet’s House becomes a stirring exploration of Black divinity, maternal devotion, and the cost of being chosen.
***THIS READING WILL BE HELD AT THE ENSEMBLE THEATRE***
Saturday, June 14, 2025
FTBAF PANEL DISCUSSION
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Matchbox 4
FREE ADMISSION with Registration
Join top Black creatives for a candid, behind-the-scenes look at navigating film, music, and theatre. Discover insights on success, representation, and staying power in the business. Free and open to the public.
