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CT Short Play Fest

August 2 | South Norwalk

A day of surprises, laughter, and serious theatrical talent!

Thrown Stone’s first-ever CT Short Play Fest hits the stage Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the Crystal Theatre in South Norwalk — and we’ve just announced the lineup.

Presented alongside the SoNo Arts Festival, this one-day event features two sessions of brand-new short plays: one by emerging teen and young adult writers, and another by experienced playwrights from around the country (and beyond). You’ll see them performed live, script-in-hand, and help us celebrate a powerful day of new work.

A panel of industry professionals will select one standout play from each session. The winner of the Afternoon Session will advance to compete in the Evening lineup.

Recommended for ages 14+.

Get Tickets

Saturday, August 2, 2025

Afternoon Session

2:00 PM

Evening Session

6:00 PM

Tickets 

  • Adults – $29/Session;
    $50/Both Sessions
  • 18 and Under – $19
    (Rated TV-14)

At the Crystal Theatre

Meet the Celebrity Judges

Afternoon Session — 2:00 PM (Emerging Playwrights)

Ashley Diaz

Ashley Diaz (15, she/her, Norwalk, CT) – Pablo’s Adventure: The Prequel
A nervous young robin faces bullies, predators, and a brutal winter. Will he find the courage to fly?

Audrey Hunter

Audrey Hunter (19, she/her, Dallas, TX) – Buy Teeth / Find Space
After losing her front teeth, Leann fixates on a vision board while Jerome escapes into the cosmos. Can hope hold them together?

Dylan Malloy

Dylan Malloy (21, she/her/hers, Aliso Viejo, CA) – Locusts
Three preteens are dropped at the wrong church for a Bible contest — and spiral into a surreal crisis of belief.

Ashton Mayhew

Ashton Mayhew (17, he/him, Norwalk, CT) – Due Tomorrow
A tale told by an idiot… in front of the entire class. Evan waits until the very last minute to deliver his Macbeth presentation.

Anna Parker

Anna Parker (18, she/her, Houston, TX) – Party Princess
A birthday performer and a strong-willed mom debate what it means to empower a four-year-old girl.

Natalia Randolph

Natalia Randolph (15, she/her, Norwalk, CT) – Wrong Number
A mistaken text from a nerdy stranger gives a stressed-out pop star a burst of inspiration — but can a misdialed connection lead to something real?

Evening Session — 6:00 PM (Professional Playwrights)

Nelson Clark

Nelson Clark (he/him, Lisbon, Portugal) — The Greyson Scale
A skeptical researcher and a grieving mother clash during a clinical survey of a near-death experience. What hidden truths lie between science and the unknown?

Earl Crittenden

Earl Crittenden (he/him, New York, NY) — Rubbish
When a Confederate jacket surfaces at a Southern church rummage sale, a drag queen and a society matron clash over history, identity, and what belongs in the trash.

F. J. Hartland

F.J. Hartland (he/him, Johnstown, PA) — SALT WATER
On a windswept autumn beach, a couple confronts love, loss, and the power of memory.

Dana Schwartz

Dana Schwartz (she/her, Los Angeles, CA) — The April & Mr. Bigglesworth Super Special Fun Time Show
Two puppeteers performing a children’s show unravel live onstage as their personal tensions break through the fabric of their characters. What happens when the hardest conversations come in the silliest voices?

Deborah Yarchun

Deborah Yarchun (she/her/hers, Brooklyn, NY) — Light the Menorah
Mira hopes to share Hanukkah with her Persian boyfriend for the first time, but blending old traditions with new love isn’t always easy. Can they light the candles without losing the spark?

About the Director

Peter Charney

Peter Charney (he/him) is a generative director for the stage and screen. His work seeks to explore the unknowns of existence, ignite the human imagination, and honor the collective experience of storytelling.
​​Peter is the co-creator and original director of A Eulogy for Roman, which premiered to critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe and later had a sold-out run at 59E59 Theaters (2024 Drama Desk Nomination). He is a resident director for SERIALS at The Tank and serves as… Read more

2025 Finalists

These writers won’t appear on August 2, but their work stood out among 148 entries. We’re proud to recognize them.

Afternoon Finalists

  • Nova Starling (19, they/she/he, Syracuse, NY) — paper airplanes, love letters, and other fragile things
  • Ada S. Wennstrom (21, she/her, Syracuse, NY) — You’re Insecure, Don’t Know What For
  • Rachel Moerdler-Green (17, she/her, New York, NY) — Love Me As I Am

Evening Finalists

  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend (she/her, Singapore) — 37 Origami Bees
  • Samara Siskind (she/her/hers, South Florida) — Priceless
  • Evan Baughfman (he/him, Long Beach, CA) — Every Sheep Counts
  • Cori Diaz (she/her, New York, NY) — Lesbian Chess Night, 2006