Wayne State University Presents Three New Plays During 2020 Louis Heck-Rabi Dramatic Playwritng One-Act Festival

The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, part of the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts at Wayne State University, and the Department of English, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, host the twentieth anniversary of the Louis Heck-Rabi Dramatic Playwriting One-Act Festival.

Since 2000 the Louise Heck-Rabi Dramatic Playwriting One-Act Festival encourages young playwrights to submit their original works for review, each year six semi-finalists are chosen. The plays are then read at a workshop during the fall semester, where they are adjudicated. Three finalists win a scholarship as well as the opportunity to produce their play in for a live audience, working with a student director and student performers to realize their productions on the stage.

The 2020 Louis Heck-Rabi Dramatic Playwriting One-Act Festival finalists are "The Company of Fools" by theatre department graduating senior, Caleb Mathews, "Granna" by 2019 theatre department alumni, Aidan Linn, and "Something Gay" by 2019 theatre department alumni, Kevin Keller. "The Company of Fools" tells the story of a con artist named, Nell, who manages to steal script sides of Shakespeare's plays and attempts to mount an illegal production of her own. "Granna" is the journey of siblings handling the loss of their grandmother. This story examines the sibling relationship of Oscar and D, as they come to the realization that they each other to lean in this moment of their family history. "Something Gay" is about gay hookup culture and how these relationships never develop into something permanent. Two men reconnect on Grindr, after some time apart, and decide be serious about each other. As weeks pass, their relationship evolves.

Public performances take place at the Underground at the Hilberry (4743 Cass Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201) on the Wayne State University campus on Friday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 1 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. Tickets to the public performance are $5. Tickets may be purchased online at www.theatreanddanceatwayne.com/heck-rabi or by calling the box office at 313-577-2972. Box Office hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.