Press Contact: Corey Frier- Ritsch
(Baltimore, MD 8/26/25) – Everyman Theatre announces the return of its Script Tease Reading Seriesthis September. Following a successful inaugural year where the Theatre focused on readings of new works by local playwrights, this popular series will continue with four new titles from playwrights in the Baltimore and DC region, offering these local creatives a platform to bring their stories to life in a raw, informal setting.
For the 2025/2026 season of Script Tease, the Everyman Artistic Team has curated four incredible and very distinct new works, including: Mother Mary by KJ Moran Velz, Different Words for Happiness by Resident Company Member Katie Kleiger, The Regular by Bob Bartlett, and a new play by Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi (title to be announced in early 2026.) Each reading will take place at Everyman on select Monday evenings. The plays will be presented as informal readings, followed by a discussion where audiences can engage with the playwright and dramaturg. Full play descriptions below.
“This series is a testament to the vibrant writing talent in our region and an opportunity for us to champion new voices,” states Artistic Director Vincent M. Lancisi. “The enthusiastic response we received for Everyman’s first season of Script Tease confirmed a strong appetite among the Baltimore theatre community for this type of programming.”
“Script Tease represents Everyman’s commitment to showcasing the diversity and cultural tapestry of our region and the contributions artists are making to the theatrical canon,” adds Managing Director Marissa LaRose. “We are proud that both emerging and established artists find Everyman a welcoming place to engage audiences with their work, and that we can offer pay-what-you-choose pricing to provide equitable access for all.”
Easy access with a “Four-Play” Ticket Package
For those who enjoy experiencing new works in the early stages of development, Everyman is inviting patrons to secure seats to all four play readings by purchasing the all-new Four-Play ticket package. With the Script Tease Four-Play, you get access to all four of these tantalizing readings, a commemorative cup, as well as some light nosh. A full cash bar will also be available. The Four-Play follows Everyman’s pay-what-you-choose model, allowing patrons to name their own price. (Suggested minimum is $100/package to help cover production costs.)
In line with Everyman Theatre’s commitment to accessibility, individual tickets for Script Tease readings will also continue to be available on a pay-what-you-choose basis, and we request that patrons contribute accordingly. This sliding scale pricing approach removes cost as a barrier to all attendees and directly empowers patrons to support and amplify emerging local playwrights, ensuring that everyone can participate in this unplugged form of storytelling while sustaining the program.
Four-play packages and single tickets are now on sale at everymantheatre.org/script-tease.
A History of Everyman’s Commitment to New Works
In the world of theatre, script reading is a valuable part of the creative development process as it allows the playwright to evaluate audience reaction and offers insights to which parts of the play resonate the most. This valuable learning often helps a playwright further develop the play in its journey toward a fully staged production and provides an opportunity for theatres like Everyman to workshop new scripts which may be considered for a full production in the future. Everyman patrons have witnessed first-hand how this process has come to fruition with various readings leading to mainstage productions, including: Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains (by Caleen Sinnette Jennings), Dawn (Tuyết Thị Phạm), Jump (by Charly Evon Simpson), Be Here Now (by Deborah Zoe Laufer), and Sweat (by Lynn Nottage).
Everyman also previously hosted the popular Salon Series showcasing plays written by women for three consecutive seasons from 2016-2019, which steadily grew in overwhelming demand and had many sold-out performances. In 2024/2025, more than 350 patrons returned to attend the inaugural season of Script Tease.
2025/2026 “Script Tease” Reading Series Lineup and Play Descriptions
- Mother Mary by KJ Moran Velz
Monday, September 15, 7:00 pm
This new play from Alexandria, VA-based playwright and educator KJ Moran Velz, is set in 1968 Boston and follows Jo Cruz, a taxi driver from Puerto Rico, who starts giving rides to Mary O’Sullivan, a Catholic school teacher with a boyfriend and an overbearing, conservative Irish mother. Connected through a shared sense of loneliness and smitten attraction, Jo and Mary fall into a deep friendship before taking a road trip that will change both their lives.
- Different Words for Happiness by Katie Kleiger
Monday, November 10, 7:00 pm
Everyman Theatre Resident Company actor Katie Kleiger makes her playwriting debut with this fresh take on a love triangle. In the play, Eleanor is married to Nathan, but Nathan is in love with Ava. Nathan promises to leave Eleanor for Ava but can never quite do it. Now Eleanor is pregnant, and Ava has cancer. Soon, the women’s lives become intricately entwined by a not-so-chance encounter, where they find the best of frenemies in each other. - The Regular by Bob Bartlett
Monday, February 16, 7:00 pm
An acclaimed playwright from central Maryland and Bowie State professor, Bob Bartlett, brings his creative writing style to Everyman with this story of an Army Vet rebuilding a life out on the open road. Sawyer, who is severely injured in the Iraq War, travels across the country writing about diners—the great American diner—until her trusty RV breaks down in front of one. Follow the journey as Sawyer finds her way home with her RV, her trusty dogs, and some new hippie friends she makes along the way.
- [Title TBA] by Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi
Monday, April 6, 7:00 pm
Everyman Theatre will debut a new work from Baltimore’s own playwright, actress, author, and choreographer Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, who uses her art to explore themes of identity, spirituality, history, and social justice. Edidi is the first trans woman of color nominated for a 2016 Helen Hayes Award for choreography, playwriting, and acting, and her work often centers Black and trans women, and challenges conventional narratives. Stay tuned for more info coming soon!
ABOUT EVERYMAN THEATRE
Everyman Theatre, a professional Equity Theatre company in Baltimore’s Bromo Arts District. Founded in 1990 by Vincent M. Lancisi, its mission is to offer transformative, accessible theatre experiences, including a Resident Company of Artists. Led by Lancisi and Managing Director Marissa LaRose, Everyman values people, community, and excellence, fostering meaningful connections and supporting local artists through diverse and inclusive storytelling. Everyman Theatre is supported in part by Lead Corporate Sponsor Gallagher, Evelius, and Jones, LLP, and in part by grants from The Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org), The Citizens of Baltimore County, and The Shubert Foundation.