This year’s six plays span centuries and follow fascinating female characters all on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Talkbacks focused on empowerment, inclusion and diversity will follow each reading.

The Rug Dealer

By Riti Sachdeva

Sachdeva was a Time Warner fellow with the Emerging Writers Group at The Public Theater and the Women’s Project Theater.

Jarred

By Eileen Campbell

Originally from Wayne, IL, Eileen Campbell is a junior studying Theatre Arts and Spanish at the University of Iowa.

Rush

By Callie Kimball

Callie won a Ludwig Vogelstein grant to research her play Sofonisba, which won the Clauder Gold Prize, was a finalist for the O'Neill, a semifinalist for the Princess Grace Award, and was included on The Kilroys' 2016 List.

The Malta Play

By Kristen Ebsen

Kirsten Ebsen writes about ordinary women living extraordinary lives. She studied theatre and drama at York University and the Banff School of Fine Arts and spent a season at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

Reap the Grove

By Caity-Shea Violette

Caity-Shea Violette is a Chicago-based playwright and actress and she is passionate about exploring trauma, invisible disabilities, and gender-based violence by creating new plays for women.

Parts of Speech

By Janet Burroway

Janet Burroway won the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award in Writing by the Florida Humanities Council and is a novelist, essayist and playwright.

Note: This is now added to the Picture this Post round up of COMING SOON. To find out more about other exciting programming and events coming to Chicago’s stages, click here to read —