Press Release Summer Shorts: Flipping the Script - Eight Short Plays by Playwrights from Miami and Around the Country - June 6-23, 2024

City Theatre and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County present

SUMMER SHORTS: FLIPPING THE SCRIPT

Eight short plays by playwrights from Miami and around the country

Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. – Preview

Friday, June 7, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. – Opening Night

through Sunday, June 23, 2024

Tickets: $50 - $75*

Carnival Studio Theater

Miami, FL – March 27, 2024 – City Theatre (@CityTheatreMIA) and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) are proud to present SUMMER SHORTS: FLIPPING THE SCRIPT, a celebration of Miami’s and the country’s best playwrights featuring eight refreshing and revealing ten-minute plays. SUMMER SHORTS: FLIPPING THE SCRIPT plays from June 6 to June 23 in the Arsht Center’s intimate Carnival Studio Theater.  Preview night will be June 6. Opening night will be June 7, which will also feature a party with live music and food for purchase on the Arsht Center’s Thomson Plaza for the Arts.

Now in its 27^th year and dubbed “Miami's equivalent to Saturday Night Live” by Broadway World, these provocative and entertaining stories performed by South Florida's brightest talents explore playful yet profound stories that unveil unexpected truths. Praised as “entertaining,” “achingly funny,” and “consistently hilarious” by Artburst Miami and Florida Theater On Stage, SUMMER SHORTS: FLIPPING THE SCRIPT promises an extraordinary Miami experience where surprises await.

Tickets to SUMMER SHORTS: FLIPPING THE SCRIPT are $50*. VIP tickets are also available for $75*, which include up-front, cabaret-style seating and a free drink. Student and teacher tickets are available for $15 for any performance with valid IDs by using the promotional code “EDU15.” Arsht Center members can buy tickets now. Group and individual tickets will be available for purchase on Wednesday, March 27 and Thursday, March 28, respectively. Tickets may be purchased at the Adrienne Arsht Center box office, by calling (305) 949-6722, or online at arshtcenter.org.

“We’re flipping the script this year by presenting short plays that reveal truths in unexpected ways,” said City Theatre’s Artistic Director Margaret M. Ledford. “I am especially proud to amplify the voices of our local Homegrown talent and elevate them to the same level as the national playwrights participating in the program. We want our audience to recognize themselves and their communities through our onstage work.”

Four of the eight plays featured in SUMMER SHORTS: FLIPPING THE SCRIPT are the work of playwrights from City Theatre’s HOMEGROWN playwright development program. This initiative nurtures, elevates, and promotes Miami-based writers from historically marginalized communities by providing the time, tools, and training they need to create and produce works that enrich the American theater canon. Each of the short plays by HOMEGROWN playwrights will be presented as a world premiere. Featured HOMEGROWN playwrights include Brandon Urrutia (@brandokthehut), Nerissa Street (@nerissastreet), Maleeha Naseer, and Brittany “BK” King.

The remaining playwrights were selected from the Susan J. Westfall National Short Playwriting Contest. This competition invited 1,000 playwrights with unique voices from across the country to submit short play scripts of any style or genre. The playwrights whose works have been selected for this year’s lineup are Rhiannon Ling (@rhiannon_ling_), John Bavoso (@unicornwrangler11), Karissa Murrell Myers (@kmurrellmysers), and R.D. Murphy.

The lineup for SUMMER SHORTS: FLIPPING THE SCRIPT includes: An Awkward Conversation in the Shadow of Mount Moriah by John Bavoso, This Week in the Land of Democracy by Brittany “BK” King, Manic Pixie Dream Girl Goes to Brunch by Rhiannon Ling, Pros and Cons of Implosion  by R.D. Murphy, Search for an Ending by Karissa Murrell Myers, Swordfish Grilled (So I don’t get sued) by Maleeha Naseer, Rare Earth by Nerissa Street, and Dickery Pokery by Brandon Urrutia.

City Theatre’s Emerging Artists Program is central to SUMMER SHORTS: FLIPPING THE SCRIPT. Funded by Citizens Interested in the Arts, this initiative offers college students and recent graduates hands-on experience in all aspects of production. These paid positions allow interns to work onstage and behind the scenes, thereby fostering the growth of local talent and creating a self-sustaining South Florida arts ecosystem.

SUMMER SHORTS: FLIPPING THE SCRIPT is possible through the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor, and the Board of County Commissioners. It is also sponsored in part by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support for this production is generously provided by the Miami Downtown Development Authority and Citizens Interested in the Arts.

*All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates, and times are subject to change without notice. Visit arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor, Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council, Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, Florida Department of State, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations, and local, state, and national foundations.

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About the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

Set in the heart of downtown Miami, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is committed to welcoming and connecting ALL people to the arts, the Arsht Center, and each other. Our stages are alive year-round with artists from around the world, innovative programming from our resident companies and local arts partners, free community events that reflect Miami’s unique identity, and arts education experiences for thousands of Miami children each year.

Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has been recognized as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area, a leader in programming that mirrors South Florida’s diversity, a host venue for historic events, and Miami’s hub for arts education.

Each year, we serve more than 60,000 young learners and offer more than 100 culturally diverse and inclusive education programs — many enhanced by the Arsht Center’s relationship with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, local teaching artists, and Miami-based arts organizations.

The Arsht Center is also a home stage for three resident companies — Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, and New World Symphony — and a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage. Our 300+ events each year include the Center’s Signature Series of classical, jazz, Broadway, local theater, and much more. We present a robust series of touring Broadway musicals direct from New York, the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival, and an award-winning Miami-based theater program. In addition, our Family Fest, Free Gospel Sundays, CommuniTEA LGBTQ+ celebration, and Heritage Fest are among dozens of free events that bring together people from all corners of our community. For more information, visit arshtcenter.org.

About City Theatre

In its 28^th season, City Theatre is an award-winning professional theater company founded in Miami with support from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the County Mayor, and the Board of County Commissioners. It is also sponsored in part by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Best known for its short play festival Summer Shorts, the company produced hundreds of short plays by established and emerging writers through its National Short Playwriting Contest. Its mainstage is at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts’ Carnival Studio Theatre. City Theatre was honored by the Carbonell Committee with the prestigious Bill Von Maurer Award, which recognizes contributions to South Florida theater for its dedication to the short form play format and fostering new play development. The company was also recognized by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava, who honored it by declaring “City Theatre 25th Anniversary Day” on June 9, 2021. For more information, visit www.citytheatre.com.