One Act Play Festival

This festival will feature two distinct shows, each showcasing a collection of short plays by regional and national playwrights. Festival tickets for both shows are $40, or theatre-goes can choose one show for $25. Groups of 10 or more receive a 10 percent discount.

This weekend-long event includes works by established and emerging writers, offering a dynamic and powerful theatrical experience. Audiences will enjoy new world premieres performed by local directors and actors in a celebration of creativity and community

Show A runs Friday, August 23 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, August 34 at 3 pm.  Show B runs Saturday, August 24, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, August 25, at 3 p.m. The show will last approximately two hours with one 15-minute intermission. Between shows A and B on Saturday, August 24 at 5:30 pm, Hendersonville Theatre will unveil its highly anticipated 2025 season. The 2025 Season Reveal will include a lively celebration featuring food, music, and fun for all attendees.

Show A will include:

• Backyard Stonehenge by Jacquelyn Priskorn: TJ and Kendra grapple with tension in their relationship. TJ attempts to surprise Kendra by creating a Stonehenge-like structure in their backyard using stones borrowed from their neighbor. As they confront their strained relationship, guilt, and disappointment, will they ultimately find solace in working together to complete the stone circle? 

• Catatonia…or, Waiting for Gato by Matt Wade: Waiting for Godot but with cats! Two cats, Crash and Ace, ponder life's meaning and absurd situation. This quirky comedy fills the stage with cat puns, observational musings, a surprising time-traveling twist, and the existential themes of waiting and uncertainty.

• Tree #2 by R.A. Pauli: Charlie, an overly enthusiastic actor in a community theater production, obsessively interrogates the director about the character’s motivation, much to the director’s exasperation. The play is a witty take on the absurdity of taking a minor role too seriously. 

• A Sign You Were Alive by Rebecca Kane: Set in a suburban home during a mysterious pandemic, James tries to care for his sick daughter, Chelsea, by providing unconventional nourishment and protecting her from the outside world. The play delves into themes of love, fear, and the struggle to maintain normalcy in the face of the extraordinary.

Show B will feature:

• I’d Rather Die Than Go Back To Christmastown by Abby Auman: Filled with sharp humor, this satire takes a playful jab at the clichés of holiday romances, making it an audience favorite. A high-powered businesswoman fears falling into the typical holiday movie trope of abandoning her career for love in a small town. Her assistant helps her devise a plan to avoid this fate by becoming the “villain” of her own story. 

• Riding Lessons by Brett Hursey: An imaginary clown accompanies Clark, visible only to a select few. He meets Edie, a woman who has her own challenges.  Through Clark and Edie’s conversation, this humorous and heartfelt play explores loneliness, mental health, and finding acceptance in one’s quirks. 

• Thanks for the Mammaries by Bailey Jordan Garcia: A poignant comedy that explores themes of gender identity, body dysphoria, and the journey toward self-acceptance. Despite the humorous tone, the play tackles serious issues, ending on a note of mutual understanding and a farewell to a past self and a new life.

• My Name is Jane by Phil Darg: This drama follows Jane, a woman in her late 30s who desperately wants to become a mother. Hoping to become a social media influencer, she documents her journey through infertility treatments and pregnancy. The play delves into the emotional and legal challenges she faces, especially in light of the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. As Jane navigates her path to pregnancy, the play explores themes of personal struggle, societal expectations, and the impact of shifting legal landscapes.