The event features informal staged readings of two short screenplays: The Red Room by CeCe Jenkins and War by Casey McAllister.

The Red Room by CeCe Jenkins is a slow-burn thriller set in 2016 that begins with twenty-something Maya arriving in Phoenix, where, despite life experiences that have caused her to be wary, she will share an apartment with someone she has never met. Her roommate, Teresa, who is also a graduate student in her mid-twenties, has her own reasons for being cautious around other people.

War by Casey McAllister is set in 2007 at a U.S. military base in the Yazidi region of Iraq. The script brings audiences into the somber reflections of its central character, a surgeon who has been at the front lines for four years. Creating a counterpoint, it allows audiences to spend time with an outgoing young soldier, who stays in touch with his parents and fiancé back home. The script takes audiences through their experiences as they intersect in life-changing ways.     

Thoughtful discussions involving the author, the audience, and the performers follow each reading. The conversations will consider the authors’ inspirations and explore questions about story structure, characterization, tone, and dialogue.