Join us in the Kenan Theatre for a workshop play series featuring new works by two UNC faculty members. Enjoy a performance and stay for a talk with each of the playwrights as you help them develop the show for future audiences.
RSVP
New Play Workshop Series
Faculty @PLAY
Ticket Prices
Both shows are FREE. No tickets are required, but an RSVP is appreciated.
Song of a Sea Witch
Devised and Performed by Rachel Hynes
Featuring an ensemble and live music
April 30 – May 4, 2025
Once upon a time, there was a girl, and her best friend was a creature of the sea, a Sea Witch. The Sea Witch was a woman made of seaweed, shells and bones. The Sea Witch loved the girl so much, that she would drag her down to the bottom of the ocean. The girl would stay there, until she found her way back to the surface, only to be lured by the Sea Witch’s song again and again.
Song of a Sea Witch uses puppetry, physical theatre and music to tell a fairytale about the power of language and the lasting impact of negative self-talk. Join storyteller and theatre-maker Rachel Hynes to help develop this exciting and perilous tale for everyone who has a Sea Witch.
- Wednesday, April 30 at 7:30 pm
- Friday, May 2 at 7:30 pm
- Sunday, May 4 at 2:00 pm
When the Swelling Goes Down
Written and Performed by Samuel Ray Gates
a comedy about finding your place
May 1 – 4, 2025
Produced in collaboration with THE NEW BLACK FEST with development support sponsored by the UNC Institute for the Arts and Humanities.
When the Swelling Goes Down is PlayMakers Company Member Samuel Ray Gates’s hilarious and intimate exploration of life in 2020 and beyond. Drawing inspiration from the tradition of winter counts—Native American records of significant yearly events—Gates weaves together comedy, personal anecdotes, historical context, and sharp wit to navigate the complexities of race, grief, and the search for healing.
Gates delves into themes of loneliness and isolation with raw honesty and humor, revealing a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the search for connection in a world that often feels fractured. This is a story about finding your voice and understanding your place in the world, one year at a time.
- Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 pm
- Saturday, May 3 at 7:30 pm
- Sunday, May 4 at 5:30 pm