New Works Festival Presents: Star-Crossed Fates

New Works Festival 2025 Presents: Star-crossed Fates

Location: Second Playing Space

 

February 6 @ 7:30 PM In Development: Sound of Rain, Written by Katelyn Cabalo Act of Contrition, Written by Anna Leslie 15 Minute Intermission Arthur and Titi, Written by Michael Watt	February 7 @ 7:30 PM In Development: Gawain, Written by Lily Davies girls can eat now, Written by Kyrie Wiebe 15 Minute Intermission I'll Go With You, Written by Alex Ward
February 8 @ 2:00 PM In Development: Corinthians, Written by Josh Greyvenstein girls can eat now, Written by Kyrie Wiebe 15 Minute Intermission I'll Go With You, Written by Alex Ward	February 8 @ 7:30 PM In Development: Sound of Rain, Written by Katelyn Cabalo Act of Contrition, Written by Anna Leslie 15 Minute Intermission Arthur and Titi, Written by Michael Watt
February 9 @ 2:00 PM In Development: Gawain, Written by Lily Davies Act of Contrition, Written by Anna Leslie 15 Minute Intermission Arthur and Titi, Written by Michael Watt	February 9 @ 7:30 PM In Development: Corinthians, Written by Josh Greyvenstein girls can eat now, Written by Kyrie Wiebe 15 Minute Intermission I'll Go With You, Written by Alex Ward

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Act of Contrition 

Directed by Angie Bustos

Assistant Directed by Kaylin Playter

Written by Anna Leslie

Esther is a doctor who recently returned to her small hometown. Cal is a teenager about to finish high school. Both long for their church’s approval and for belonging in their community. However, Esther and Cal know they are afflicted with a wrongness that threatens to devour them-and everyone else. When their paths collide, they begin to challenge the beliefs that shaped them. Act of Contrition is a story about queerness, religion, and solidarity entwined with supernatural suspense.

Starring: Summer Leigh as Cal, Brijesh Nagarathinam as Thomas, Emma Rielle as Esther, and Emma Matthews as Sadie.

Content warnings: Transphobia, Homophobia, Religious Harm, Implied Self-harm, and Implied Suicidal Ideation.

 

Arthur and Titi

Directed by Jarin Ten Hove

Assistant Directed by Grace Fitzgerald

Written by Michael Watt

Arthur is a man, Titi is a puppet. Together, they are a young couple that’s just trying to make it work in a wig-wearing world chock-full of friends, foes, waitstaff and woes that all seem to push them together and pull them apart. Will love win? Arthur & Titi is a love letter to conflict, confrontation, and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Starring: Charlotte Thompson as Arthur, Braden Welsh as Titi, Oakley Aram as Everett/Jacques, and Jenna Briggs as Therapist/Sylvie. 

Content warnings: Alcohol, Vaping, Marijuana, and Sexual Content.

 

girls can eat now

Directed by Aidan Collins

Assistant Directed by Emily Lizotte

written by Kyrie Wiebe

Two women are getting dressed. Again and again and again. There are plans made, supposedly, but no one actually knows where they are going. They can’t eat, they are missing clothes, they grow to feel like they are being watched. They do not know much, not even their names, but they do know they are in love. girls can eat now is both everything and nothing, a critique and a love letter.

Starring: Jacquelin Walters as Character A, Emily Lizotte as Character B, and Sarah Wilson as Character 3

Content warnings: Sexual Themes and Airborne Grapefruit Allergy.

 

I'll Go With You

Directed by Sam Villetard

Assistant Directed by Andreas Schroeder

Written by Alex Ward

Set in a vast metropolis plagued by authoritarian surveillance, propaganda, and decaying societal norms, I’ll Go With You is an absurdist tragicomedy exploring love, survival, and defiance. The story follows Mandrake, a despondent yet resolute worker at a nearby meat factory, and Poppy, a want-to-be religious historian / idealist who works a never ending string of dead-end office jobs in hopes of funding their dreams of moving out east.

As their bond deepens amidst moments of dark humour, surreal encounters, and glimpses of tenderness, the two confront their fears, regrets, and the oppressive systems around them. The play questions the cost of hope and the sacrifices we make for connection and freedom. All the while, an endless dance of courtship writhes as the clownish facades of the engines of government continue to devour each other…

Starring: Andreas Schroeder as Leper, Nicole Maloney as Andre, Sam Michaelchuk as Fiia., Alexander Voutchkov as Mandrake, and Madeline Anthony as Poppy. 

Content warnings: Gun violence, Mature language, Sexual themes, Depiction of Human Sacrifice and Cannibalism, Loud Noise, Alcohol, and Drugs.

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 In Development Series

Gawain

Directed by Kalen Sabasch

Written by Lily Davies

Gawain is one of the “leftovers” hiding in the abandoned English countryside in a not-so-distant future. One fateful Christmas night, he is pulled into a deadly bet with a giant, green monster who calls himself “The Green Knight.” To complete his side of the bargain, he is drawn out of hiding and into the mysterious, confusing world that England has become in his absence.
Gawain is a post-apocalyptic retelling of the classic King Arthur tale that asks the question "How do you keep going if the end has already happened?"

Starring: Macy McCubbing, Galaxie Ayom, Madeline Podlubny, and Brooke Figueroa. 

 

Sound of Rain

Directed by Jeannine Kroening

Written by Katelyn Cabalo

Isla is a free-spirit, unafraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, while Mattias, an immigrant who dreams of opening a taco truck, carries the weight of his past. By an act of fate, their paths collide and they find themselves in a whirlwind romance. But as they navigate the complexities of life, mental health, and healing, they must confront a powerful question: is love enough to truly heal the scars of their past? The Sound of Rain explores themes of sexual violence, mental health, and relationships through a BIPOC perspective and movement-based storytelling.

Starring: Ram Gill and Elizabeth Adeyanju

Content warnings: Coarse language, Implied Sexual Violence, and Mental Illness.

 

Corinthians

Directed by Kaitlyn Stang

Written by Josh Greyvenstein

Jacob has had enough memories to last himself a lifetime but when there's a pull back to his childhood home he must go through the memories that led him away. Hester lives in the house that seems to be swallowed in carcasses and addled mourning, barely keeping herself lucid enough for when her son comes home. The two have to venture through the house and their own memories in order to examine the rise of Jacob's brother as a prominent cult-leader which ultimately led to all this grief. Through traversing these memories, old wounds get split open and the blood from the past spills into the present. The two struggle not to drown as the bloodshed and culpability slowly rises around them while they try to justify their lives and make better ones.

Starring: Reid Nichols, Heather Giles, and Ben Weber.

Content warnings: Addiction, Death, Religious Topics, and Discussion of Mental Illness.

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New Works is also hosting a talkback with the playwrights after our matinee show on Saturday.

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New Works Festival was conceived to provide emerging theatre artists at the University of Alberta with the experience of being involved in a complete theatrical production; to give the ability to explore, and enjoy, the process, while getting them to opening night. Crucially, New Works extends to them full trust and permission to imaginatively engage in the work — to learn, play, and experiment.

New Works would be happy to help accommodate accessibility needs. Please contact gsyoung@ualberta.ca so we can have accommodations prepared before your arrival.

Ticket holder voluntarily assumes all risks and dangers incidental to any games or events for which this ticket is issued and waives all claims against the New Works Festival, and the Governors of the University of Alberta whether or not such claims arise from the negligence of any of the said parties.

Admission is subject to compliance with all laws and facility rules. Failure to comply with laws or facility rules may result in refusal of admission or expulsion. Ticket holder consents to reasonable examinations and searches to ensure compliance with laws and facility rules, and acknowledges illegal substances are not permitted on premises.

For a safe ride home, dial #TAXI on your cell phone.