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May 2026 Read and Rant
Athena Project’s Read & Rant program seeks to combine the sharing of theatrical work with the wider public and the new play development aspects of our former Plays In Progress Series while also fostering collaboration between playwrights and dramaturgs. Think book club for plays! Learn what makes a good script, discuss how it affects us, and explore the ways it links to the larger world. This monthly free offering to the community aims to raise awareness of the under-representation of women’s stories on stage.
Each month, we read two new and unproduced scripts selected from a nationwide call for submissions and typically meet every third Monday online via Zoom to discuss the works. Join us to converse with invited playwrights who bring an in-depth knowledge of the works and theatrical writing at large. Guided by a dramaturg, we also invite you to share your constructive comments, thoughts, and affirmations in order to aid in the development process of the pieces.
This month we will be featuring:
A Rose By Any Other Name by Susan Rowan Masters (she/her)
Fifteen-year old Annie, raised by her maternal grandparents (grandmother recently deceased), learns that her mother Rose is returning to help her ailing father Dan. The pain and resentment Annie feels toward Rose who abandoned her at birth resurfaces and she wonders what are her mother’s real motives. Meanwhile, their run-down trailer is leaking, Dan’s emphysema is getting worse and an argument between Dan and Rose reveals that something unspoken happened many years before. The play explores Annie’s conflicting emotions—torn between anger and longing—as she navigates her terminally ill grandfather’s declining health and her complicated relationship with her mother.
Dramaturg: Lindsay Lutes (she/her)
Over Mom's Dead Body by Mary Beth Smith (she/her)
Four siblings sit vigil in their Mom’s claustrophobic-sized condominium. As their Mom lays dying, the two fierce sisters, Marie and Lizzie, continue their lifelong battle for the unattainable “best daughter” title. Their two brothers struggle to keep up but alas… While all this is happening, Mom is shedding mortal life and preparing for an afterlife with no adult children.
Dramaturg: Patrick Elkins-Zeglarski (he/him)
Evening hosted by Read & Rant’s Literary Manager, Reilly Conlon (they/them) and Resident Dramaturg Samara Siskind (she/her)!
You will receive a confirmation email with your registration AND LINKS TO ACCESS THE SCRIPTS AND A ZOOM LINK FOR THE EVENT. Please be on the lookout for this email – if you scroll down there is a section with information on our plays and links for the scripts. If you do not see this email, please check your spam folder.
When you register for the event on Eventbrite, you should receive a confirmation email.
- Email subject line will say “Order Confirmation for Athena Project: Read & Rant [month, year]”. This initial email has a synopsis and the links to both scripts.
- Two days prior to the event, you should receive another email with the subject line “Reminder for Athena Project: Read & Rant [month, year].” This email also includes the synopsis and links to both scripts.
- Plan to read scripts well in advance before the Zoom meeting
Please note that the scripts don’t come as attachments, they are .pdf links. So the body of the email will contain two paragraphs with the details of that month’s scripts.
For example:
Mak Shealy’ s Victorian Psychedelic Sleepover Play
On the eve of a 16th birthday, four teens meet after their writing is rejected by the school lit mag to create a Literary Zine of their own. Seeking editorial guidance, they conjure the ghosts of writers past and find themselves possessed by the spirit, chaos and conflict of the Victorian Era radicals they have long admired.
Content Warning: bullying, blood/bodily fluids, discussion of IVF, birth, substance use, disordered eating implied
You must click the link, and it will take you to the script.
If there are any questions or concerns please contact literarymanager@athenaprojectarts.org
