Graphic Courtesy of Fusion Theatre Company

This year's contest winners are loosely organized under the theme of "The Elephant in the Room." Fusion is also presenting an additional evening of the second seven plays and has several of the playwrights on site for the events. Over the past several years, "new works" festivals have been discontinued at many regional theatres. It is encouraging to see this festival still going strong.

Fusion is particularly adept at presenting small cast shows with simple but high production values. Playwrights and plays selected for this year's festival include Tara Meddaugh with the first prize winner There Once Were Two Clouds in the Sky, Richard Perez with Backdraft, Emma K. Cleary's One and Only, abs wilson and Chris Gierymsky with the musical Astronomer/Star-Weaver, Kimberly Holliday with Campaigns, Chainsaws and Chocolate Milk, Paul Lewis with Distant Objects, and Cynthia Veal Holm with Colored Water. All seven plays exhibit the theme, as there are secrets here and unspoken longings as characters and celestial objects collide. There is surface humor and a lot of serious food for thought.

The Seven ran June 8-11, 2023, at the Fusion Theatre Company, 700-708 1st Street NW, Albuquerque NM. For information, please visit www.fusionnm.org.

The Company includes: Jen Grigg, Dennis Gromelski, Jacqueline Reid, Maria Lee Schmidt, David Sinkus, Laurie Thomas, Zara Carlton, Tiffany Cole, Kane Distler, Madison Dodd, Addison Fulton, Josh Heard, Juli Hendren, Richard K. Hogle, Lex Kelley, Ongwa Kitungano, Angela Littleton, Leah Livingston, Miguel Martinez, Karen Jones Meadows, Gerome Olona, Robyn Phillips, Alaina Beth Reel, Chad Scheer, Quinn Scicluna, Robin Scott, Wendy Scott, Robb Sisneros, Deva Smith, Brent Stevens, Jessica Ubiera, Dave Weirdly, Rachel Wiseman, and Aaron Worley.