Press Release Summer Shorts: Homegrown Edition - Emerging Miami playwrights work with Vanessa Garcia to develop new works inspired by the Magic City - June 8-25

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

SUMMER SHORTS: HOMEGROWN EDITION

Eight short plays by Miami’s best emerging playwrights

New playwright development program pairs BIPOC writers with award-winning local playwright Vanessa Garcia to develop all-new short plays

Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. – Preview
Friday, June 9, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. – Opening Night
through Sunday, June 25, 2023
Tickets: $50 - $75*
Carnival Studio Theater

Miami, FL – May 15, 2023 – City Theatre (@CityTheatreMIA) and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) are proud to present SUMMER SHORTS: HOMEGROWN EDITION, a celebration of Miami’s best emerging BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) playwrights featuring eight refreshing and revealing ten-minute plays celebrating Miami’s homegrown talent. Set against the backdrop of the Magic City, these provocative and entertaining stories feature a cast of diverse, Miami-based actors under the vision of City Theatre Artistic Director Margaret M. Ledford. SUMMER SHORTS: HOMEGROWN EDITION plays from June 8-25 in the Arsht Center’s intimate Carnival Studio Theater.

Tickets to SUMMER SHORTS: HOMEGROWN EDITION are $50.* VIP tickets are also available for $75*, which include up-front, cabaret-style seating and a free drink. Student tickets are available for $15 with valid student ID. Tickets may be purchased at the Adrienne Arsht Center box office by calling (305) 949-6722, or online at arshtcenter.org.

SUMMER SHORTS: HOMEGROWN EDITION is the culmination of City Theatre’s inaugural HOMEGROWN playwright development program. HOMEGROWN aims to nurture, elevate, and promote Miami’s BIPOC writers by providing the time, tools, and training to create their own body of work to diversify the national theater canon.

“These fresh, funny, and locally sourced plays are every bit as good as previous incarnations of our Summer Shorts program, but with a welcome familiarity of recognizable places and faces of our South Florida region.” said City Theatre Artistic Director Margaret M. Ledford. “I am so pleased and proud to amplify the voices of our local talent from page to stage.”

A cohort of eight playwrights work with Homegrown Master Playwright Vanessa Garcia (@vanessagarciawriter) to engage in creative instruction, professional development, and creating new works for SUMMER SHORTS: HOMEGROWN EDITION. Garcia is the author of The Amparo Experience, an immersive theater hit that People en Español called “Miami’s Hottest Ticket.” Other plays include Sweet Goats & Blueberry Señoritas, which she co-wrote with U.S. inaugural poet Richard Blanco and #GRACED, which premiered at the Arsht Center in 2023. She has also written for Sesame Street, Caillou and other shows.

“There is so much talent in Miami -- this program shines a light on that talent and helps launch it beyond the greater Miami area into the world,” said Garcia. “These are the voices that need to hit the mainstream and represent what it means to be American today. And they will, so all I can say is get ready!”

The HOMEGROWN playwright development program was launched through the support of The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation. Additional support for this production is provided by Citizens Interested in the Arts. This program is also made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

SUMMER SHORTS: HOMEGROWN EDITION features works by local playwrights Joel Castillo, Ariel Cipolla (@arielonset), Chris Anthony Ferrer (@chris_anthony_ferrer), Sefanja Richard Galon (@zeph.void), Luis Roberto Herrera (@fullsizedluis), Ivan R. López (@ilopez265), Phanésia Pharel (@phanesiapharel) and Lolita Stewart-White (@lolitastewartwhite). The cohort was led by Homegrown Master Playwright Vanessa Garcia. Click here for full playwright bios.

The program also features a cast of all-local actors, including Toddra Brunson, Brette-Raia Curah, Samuel Krogh, Lauren Cristina López, Evelyn Perez, Chabely Ponce, Raul Ramirez and Roderick Randle. Click here for full cast bios.

SUMMER SHORTS: HOMEGROWN EDITION features the following short plays:

BALLÓO(N) by Joel Castillo
Directed by Melissa Almaguer

Love is complicated, especially when he's white and she's Cuban — nothing a ballόo(n) can't fix.

THE VULTURES by Ariel Cipolla
Directed by Melissa Almaguer

Three teenage girls plan their “rebrand” before venturing into the wilderness of high school.

2201: XIBALBA by Chris Anthony Ferrer
Directed by Joshua Jean-Baptiste

On his first day, cadet Cicero Lipschitz must safeguard the wormhole at Space Station Xibalba — or else.

BANANA BREAD by Sefanja Richard Galon
Directed by Joshua Jean-Baptiste

A dramatic-comedy about two best friends who work at a corporate Banana Bread coffee shop.

PLASTIC FLOWERS by Luis Roberto Herrera
Directed by Maha McCain

Two estranged friends come together in the hospital room of someone they care about as the tension between them erupts.

I FOUND THIS ON THE WEB by Ivan R. Lopez
Directed by Alex Alvarez

A comedy about dating in the age of infinite intelligence.

AND OTHER DREAMS WE HAD by Phanésia Pharel
Directed by Maha McCain

In the attic of a coastal American city, a couple discusses an imminent dream.

7 by Lolita Stewart-White
Directed by Alex Alvarez

Minutes before her wedding, a bride decides whether to remarry her loving husband or reunite with her ex.

 

@ArshtCenter                       #ArshtCenter

 

*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 and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture 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.

 

###

 

About Us

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, to the Arsht Center and to 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

City Theatre is an award-winning, professional theater company founded in Miami. Launched in 1996, City Theatre is now entering its 28th season with a mission to develop and produce works that engage, reflect, and impact our community.

SUMMER SHORTS, City Theatre’s signature program of eight short plays produced annually in June, was established in 1996. City Theatre has produced a variety of short play programs --- SHORTS GONE WILD (LGBTQ+ focused stories), SHE SHORTS (stories by and about people who identify as women), and CITY SHORTS (a touring program of short plays) --- and programs focused on playwright development, such as CityWrights (a national gathering for student and professional playwrights) and NextGen (for high school playwrights).

Other programs include:

The SHORT CUTS Middle School Tour features a diverse cast performing four age- and theme-appropriate short plays, presented for free to students of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. This program includes a post-show discussion and a study guide for educators.

CITY READS, presented year-round in partnership with local, independent bookstore Books & Books, invites the community to enjoy a free reading of short plays related in theme and participate in a conversation about the works and issues presented.

The HOMEGROWN playwright development program launched in 2021 through the generous support of The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at the Miami Foundation. This program nurtures, elevates, and promotes Miami’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) writers. Recognizing that the stories of many BIPOC playwrights in Miami are going unwritten and unheard, this program refocuses the American lens through Magic City’s multicultural voices, centering their rich narratives in the theatrical canon.

City Theatre has made its main stage home at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts’ Carnival Studio Theatre since 2007. SUMMER SHORTS enjoyed its milestone 25th Anniversary in 2022. City Theatre produces full-length plays as part of the Arsht Center’s Theatre Up Close Series, including WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME by Heidi Schreck in 2022, JACOB MARLEY’S CHRISTMAS CAROL by Tom Mula in 2021, and Bekah Brunstetter’s THE CAKE in 2019.

In 2016, the Carbonell Committee awarded City Theatre with the prestigious Bill Von Maurer Award, in recognition of significant contributions to South Florida theater development for the company’s dedication to the short form play format and fostering new play development. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava recognized “City Theatre 25th Anniversary Day” on June 9, 2021.