Hothouse is anchored by readings of two full-length plays by local playwrights:

• Familial Comforts by Sehat Yon’shea Walker

What do Black women do in kitchens? On Labor Day weekend, a few months shy of the one-year anniversary of the passing of their Grandmother, affectionately known as G, for almost forty-something-year-old sisters, Sissi and Tasha post up in G’s famed kitchen to reflect and challenge one another as they unpack each other’s lives and their matriarchal traditions. G’s home/kitchen was always a sanctuary for Sissi, G’s protege, who dreamed of becoming a Chef, yet it was always a place of contention for the brilliant and feisty climate researcher Tasha. As they prepare for a family cookout, how might the two sisters navigate their feelings around their expectations of themselves, each other, and their future?

• Dispatched by Elliott Kashner

A town on the edge, Rykerstown, PA, has been devastated by opioids and the closure of a factory that was once the economic lifeblood for the residents there. Charlotte, an emergency dispatcher, has found herself alone in a call center after her replacements fail to turn up. Desperation turns to terror as the calls to 9-1-1 become increasingly strange throughout the night, and it becomes clear that a new horror is befalling the town.

Excerpts of plays in development by local writers: David Higgins, Gursimrat Kaur, Doug Robinson, Alexander Rolle, Hope Villenueva, and Ayesha Zackria

One woman show, Useless Woman and the AI Therapist, written and performed by Maame-Yaa Aforo

10-minute plays by high school students of Digital Pioneers Academy as part of ENOUGH! Plays Against Gun Violence

Sneak peeks at new works from playwrights of Theater Alliance’s current season:

• Fountains of Youth by Kareem Fahmy
• Achilles in Gitmo by Lindsay Joelle
• Soul Records by York Walker

Cabaret performed by Here & There – Deimoni Brewington and Jordyn Taylor