Encore Michigan

BoxFest Detroit announces 14th annual festival dates; submission deadline June 1

News May 17, 2017 Encore Staff

Producers seek directors, playwrights, and actors for August 2017 festival

DETROIT—The producers of BoxFest Detroit have announced performance dates for BoxFest Detroit 2017, an annual theater festival that showcases and creates opportunities for female-identifying directors. BoxFest Detroit 2017 will run Fridays and Saturdays, August 18 – 26 at Planet Ant Theatre, 2357 Caniff Ave, Hamtramck, MI, 48212. For more information, please visit www.boxfestdetroit.com.

BoxFest Detroit is an annual theater festival that showcases and creates opportunities for female-identifying directors. It has served and continues to function as a springboard for many women and their directing careers. Directors who have participated in past festivals have gone on to pursue graduate studies at highly competitive universities, become directors at professional theaters, and form their own successful theater and production companies. Proceeds from the event are given to one or more directors as a scholarship to help further her career, and the winner of the audience vote competition is given the opportunity to direct a show with Planet Ant Theatre’s One-Act Series.

“We are delighted once again to partner with Planet Ant Theatre for this year’s festival,” said Molly McMahon, artistic director. “The unwavering support they’ve shown us over the years has been instrumental in allowing us to further our mission and provide a much needed platform for our cause. Now we look forward to working with emerging and established talent to present compelling new work at this year’s festival.”

The producing team for BoxFest Detroit 2017 includes Molly McMahon, Kelly Rossi, and Amanda Grace Ewing. BoxFest Detroit is the only festival of its kind in the country and focuses solely on providing female-identifying directors opportunities to showcase their work and to gain necessary experience required for success in the field.

The festival seeks directors of all skill levels to participate, and early career and established directors are invited to participate. The festival is also accepting submissions from playwrights and actors. Directors and playwrights must submit by June 1. Actors must submit to audition for directors. Auditions will be announced at a later date. More information about submissions and the festival is available at www.boxfestdetroit.com.

For 14 years and counting, BoxFest Detroit has produced annual summer theater festivals, which create the space and support for women directors of all experience levels to share their work with audiences. Learn more about BoxFest Detroit and its programs at www.boxfestdetroit.com.

Photo: Connie Cowper and Katherine Kujala in BoxFest Detroit 2015. Photo credit: Molly McMahon.