Finalist:

Lia Romeo

A NICE MOTHERLY PERSON

Baylee Shlichtman

IN THE MOUTH OF THE BEAST

Sarah Elizabeth Grace

I’M SAVING YOU A SEAT

About the Finalists

Finalist: Lia Romeo, A NICE MOTHERLY PERSON
Lia Romeo (she/her), Playwright - is a recent graduate of the Juilliard playwriting program. Her plays have been developed at the O’Neill, La Jolla Playhouse, the Lark, and elsewhere, and have been produced at companies such as Colt Coeur, Dorset Theatre Festival, Laguna Playhouse, Unicorn Theatre, Project Y Theatre, and New Jersey Repertory Theatre. Four of her plays have been recognized by the Kilroys List. Her plays are published by TRW, Broadway Licensing, and Broadway Play Publishing. She is the associate artistic director of Project Y Theatre Company and the co-founder of the Parent-Caregiver Playwrights Group, and she teaches in the M.A. program in creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Finalist: Baylee Shlichtman, IN THE MOUTH OF THE BEAST
Baylee Shlichtman (she/her), Playwright - writes weird and magical plays about navigating relationships and autonomy. She is on the board of the Orange County Playwrights Alliance, the facilitator for the Wayward Artist's EMBARK New Play Cohort, and a part of the Flamboyan Emerging Writers Project. She has had her work read or developed with AlterTheatre Ensemble, Breath of Fire Latina Theatre Ensemble, Curtis Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre/ LA, The Larking House, Long Beach Shakespeare Company, OC-Centric New Play Festival, Playground-LA, South Texas College Latinx New Play Festival, The Vagrancy Theatre, The Wayward Artist, and The Workshop Theatre among others. She graduated from USC with a B.A. in Journalism.

Finalist: Sarah Elizabeth Grace, I’M SAVING YOU A SEAT
Sarah Elizabeth Grace (she/her), Playwright - is a New York City-based performer, producer and writer whose work focuses on gender dynamics and imperfect people. Recently her play DEAD GIRLS CLUB was a finalist at the Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival. Produced off-off-Broadway plays include CRUSH, MORE, IMPLICIT CONSENT, THE REGIME IS FEMALE, AND MENTAL NUDITY. Short Films: PERIOD PIECE (Sick N’ Wrong film festival, Bridgeport Film Festival), THE PROCESS. Publications: I WON’T BE THAT PERSON (Chaotic Merge Magazine). Fictional Podcasts: NORA’S DRAGON (all podcast platforms). Ms. Grace self-publishes short literary pieces via her Substack GRACE AND STORMS. BFA: NYU. Upcoming: a new adaptation of ALICE IN WONDERLAND at Brooklyn Music School.

Looking for Festival single tickets? Grab them here!

Under 40? Grab your Festival Pass for just $45 here!