What is the Distillery?

The Distillery festival is a celebration of emerging theater and an opportunity for playwrights to gain valuable feedback on new work. Each play in the series receives a live reading by a cast of professional actors (that's you!), allowing it to live and breathe off the page. The readings conclude with a discussion of the play with the playwright, giving writers the chance to receive feedback from Seattle audiences and providing a platform for audiences to help shape new works in process.  

About the Shows

The weekend will feature seven new works, including:

Two Catchers by Brad Goren-Wilson, directed by Hattie Claire Andres

"A plus-size, conspicuously queer high school softball player seeking an elite athletic scholarship enlists the equally queer altar boy at the local brother school to teach her how to play catcher.  As they work on her game, a complicated and ecstatic relationship unexpectedly blossoms, and they find themselves dealing with complications much more serious than sports." 

Content Advisories: Depictions of: violence; addiction; pregnancy complications (NOT miscarriage or abortion); fatphobia & homophobia; consensual sexual situations between underage characters. Allusions to: Abortion, suicidality, gender dysphoria. Actors 18+.

Performs Thursday June 12th at 7pm.

Aviatrix, Book and lyrics by Angela Russell, with music and lyrics by Dionne McClain-Freeney, directed by Amy Poisson

"Determined to make something of herself, a girl from rural Texas dreams of flying. But it’s 1917 and flight schools don’t accept women, much less one who is Black and Native. Refusing to take no for answer, Bessie Coleman charts a most unique path, making her legacy — aviation legend."

Content Advisories: Discussion and depiction of racism. 

Performs Friday June 13th at 7pm. 

La Tormenta by Ana Luz Zambrana and Aditya Joshi, directed by Eden Aztlán 
"In La Tormenta, Zaire and her daughter Estrella travel to Castañer, Puerto Rico, to celebrate Abuela’s 93rd birthday. Estrella resents her older sister Maria for abandoning the family, so when Maria unexpectedly arrives during a hurricane and power outage, the already tense family gathering spirals into a much more corrosive storm of emotions."

Content Advisories: Substance abuse, self harm, suicidal ideation, death.

Performs Saturday June 14th at 11am.

wild, mysterious forces by M. K. Wessel, directed by Kayla Walker

"Stuck in an elevator—or is it a spaceship?—a Woman and a Man struggle to figure out if they’ve met before, if they’re strangers, if they will meet in the future, and who this Other Woman is who keeps showing up. Swapping places with every blackout, the characters continue conversing as if nothing unusual has occurred. As the three grow agitated by the intimacy of the space, they find themselves caught in a duel of philosophy, sexuality, and power. But when an Alien breaks in, they're forced to confront their purpose in this strange little world—and what it is that has tied them all together." Style notes: this show is a mystery science  thriller told via dark comedy.

Content Advisories: Contains suggestions of spousal abuse, discussion of gendered violence, PTSD, misogyny, implied assault; contains consensual and nonconsensual bondage.

Performs Saturday June 14th at 3pm.

i never asked for a gofundme by Jayne Deely, directed by Emily Fortuna

"Millie is back home in Mobile, AL for a prestigious fellowship she couldn’t pass up. Her east coast born and raised Puerto Rican partner, Avery, is recovering from gender affirming top surgery. When quasi-aunt to Millie and righteous woman of God Teresa overhears Millie talking to the pharmacist at CVS, she assumes Avery has breast cancer and puts events in motion that turn everyone’s lives upside down: cue the casseroles, care packages, and checkbooks – a gofundme to SAVE AVERY! "I never asked for a gofundme" is a new queer comedy about gender, family, and religion that asks what it means to be worthy of care."

Content Advisories: Discussion of homophobia and transphobia, discussion of cancer

Performs Saturday June 14th at 7:30pm.

The Last Rites of Uncle Manny by Coco Justino, directed by Lauren Dong

"After years of estrangement, Claudia Dalog's brother shows back up in her and her daughter, Molly's, lives... in a coma. In the chaotic process of coordinating his healthcare, it is up to Claudia, Molly, and the comatose Uncle Manny to carve their respective autonomies out of hand-me-down American Dreams, Catholic Guilt, and a recipe for real Pinoy fried rice."

Content Advisories: Illness, hospitals, death, religious trauma, strained familial relationships, discussion of racial prejudice, discussion of homophobic attitudes

Performs Sunday June 15th at 11am.

God's Favorite by Catherine Crimmins, directed by Jacqueline Meyners

"When Mary realizes she is pregnant, panic sets in. What is a 14-year-old in Nazareth to do? With limited options, Mary and her cousin, Elizabeth hatch a plan; call it a miracle. Say Mary is a pregnant virgin. Mary goes on a wild journey as her lie spirals out of her control and becomes the basis for a new religion. As the play goes on, Mary seeks her revenge on God and ultimately confronts her rapist in the kingdom of heaven. This dark comedy explores the heartbreak of girlhood in a deliciously dark way."

Content Advisories: Sexual Violence, Body Mutilation, and Explicit Language

Performs Sunday June 15th at 3pm.

If you have questions about the content of any of the seven plays in particular, please feel free to reach out to casting@seattlepublictheater.org.

Distillery Goals

Traditionally, the distillery process involves heating a liquid, then allowing it to condense into a new product. Here at Seattle Public's play Distillery, we do the same thing with stories, allowing them to rise, change, and settle into something new. This is part of how we cultivate new plays that feature strong feminist themes and uplift underrepresented voices. Whether playwrights are interested in testing out bold new ideas or putting the final touches on a nearly-finished script, the Distillery is here to help.

Ready to Audition?

We are excited to encourage actors of any experience level to submit a video for consideration by the Distillery casting teams. Simply record a short (appx 1 minute) contemporary monologue of any genre and submit it via this form, along with your answers to the following questions. You also have the option to add a contrasting monologue if you wish. If you are planning to submit for a Spanish speaking role, you will be asked to submit a video of yourself speaking Spanish. If you are planning to submit for the musical, please submit musical tapes as well (see below).

Please note that we will ask you to look over the character descriptions for each play and self select  the roles for which you'd like to be considered. This can help us ensure we are creating a transparent casting process that fully honors the identities and intentions of both our playwrights and our actors.

Virtual submissions will be open until March 25th at noon. The team for each show will watch all video submissions and, in most cases, make casting decisions directly off these tapes. Some shows may reach out to actors individually for additional audition materials or virtual callbacks. 

Who Should Audition

Actors of all backgrounds and experience-levels are encouraged to audition. This is a non-union volunteer opportunity with a small stipend to cover expenses.

Seattle Public Theater is committed to becoming an anti-racist, anti-ableist, and anti-sexist organization and seeks to uproot and dismantle Industrial white Supremacy within the theatrical arts and our community. We strive to center the values of inclusivity and transparency in our casting process. Please visit our website to read more about our Anti-Racism commitments and feel free to reach out with questions.

Additional Information

Rate of Pay: This is a volunteer opportunity. Actors will receive a $50 honorarium to compensate for expenses. Actors will also receive a free Industry Pass to the festival, so they can attend all seven readings for free. 

Rehearsals:  Each of the seven plays will have approximately three rehearsals prior the to reading, with the exception of the musical Aviatrix which may have more to ensure that everyone is comfortable and ready to present the music. Actors can likely expect at least one rehearsal in April/May and at least one rehearsal in early June. Specific rehearsal scheduling will be determined by each play's respective director and may be flexible depending on actor schedules. 

Performance location: The performance will be held at Seattle Public Theater on Green Lake. Free parking is available at the performance location. 

Important dates: Performance dates: June 12-15, 2025. 

If you have questions or are having trouble with this submission form, please reach out to casting@seattlepublictheater.org. Thank you!