“When Forward was established, one of the things we wanted to do was promote the development of new plays,” said Artistic Director Jennifer Uphoff Gray. “This is a great way to work one-on-one with a wide variety of playwrights and get to know their writing styles. We’re very excited to start rehearsals.”
“It was really interesting to see the writers’ creative approaches on the subject of love,” added Kimberly Yarnall, a member of the advisory company who coordinated the contest. “It was even more interesting looking at the scores for each monologue once the authors’ names were revealed. Everyone read the pieces ‘blind’ so we could honestly respond to the writing.”

The festival’s roster of short plays includes work from Wisconsin writers, as well as notable dramatists Christopher Durang (Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them), Beth Henley (Crimes of the Heart), and Constance Congdon (Tales of the Lost Formicans). The Monologue Festival is dedicated to the memory of David Schanker, a Madison playwright who worked with Forward earlier this year on a staged reading of his award-winning play, Kiritsis.

The performance will include:

“An Evening with Jon Jones” by David Schanker, formerly of Madison, WI

“Autumn Sky Blue” by Russell Weeks, Seattle, WA

“Being Reasonable” by Heather Meyer, Minneapolis, MN

“Certainty” by Joe Rice, Madison, WI

“Trouble With Love” by Christopher Durang, Pipersville, PA

“Getting Back Together” by Christopher Durang, Pipersville, PA

“I Am the Tree” by Kimberly Yarnall, Madison, WI

“Izabella” by Rob Matsushita, Madison, WI

“Jenny’s Cough” by Lori Romero, Santa Fe, NM

“Memo From My Father” by Amanda Petefish-Schrag, Maryville, MO

“My Brother’s Love” by Beth Henley, Los Angeles, CA

“The Love That Changed my Life” by Constance Congdon, Amherst, MA

“Something Real” by Gwendolyn Rice, Madison, WI

“The Nuts that Changed My Life” by Kimberly Yarnall, Madison, WI

“Star Crossed Lovers” by Joe Rice, Madison, WI