Dunes Summer Theatre closes the 2024 season with their Second Annual New Plays Festival “Voices from the Heartland” with one week of performances Wednesday through Saturday, September 18 through September 21 at 7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST) and Sunday, September 22 at 2 p.m. CST (3 p.m. EST); and special event performance of Heidi Schreck’s Pulitzer Prize finalist play “What the Constitution Means to Me” on Saturday, September 21 at 2 p.m. CST (3 p.m. EST) and Sunday, September 22 at 7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST).
Tickets for Second Annual New Plays Festival “Voices from the Heartland” are $10 per show or $35 for entry into all performances for the full five nights. Tickets for “What the Constitution Means to Me” are $35 each and $25 for four or more. All can be purchased at dunesARTS.org. All shows take place at Dunes Summer Theatre at 288 Shady Oak Dr, Michigan City, Ind. Bar and concessions open one hour prior to curtain. Pepe’s Fork in the Road Mexican Food Truck will be on site in Dunes Theatre’s parking lot one hour before show time.
“Voices from the Heartland” is the Dunes Summer Theatre’s annual showcase of new plays by writers in northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan, presented in concert readings. According to Dunes Summer Theatre’s artistic director Steve Scott, “We had so many wonderful plays submitted this year that we expanded the Festival from four nights to five, including historically based dramas, off-the-wall comedies and a one-act thriller. It’ll be a great opportunity for our audiences to experience these fresh new works and give their ideas for further development to each playwright.” Performances will include an audience talkback with the writer, led by Dunes’ dramaturg Annaliese McSweeney.
Called “endearingly funny and deeply affecting” by Washington Post, the special event performance of “What the Constitution Means to Me” is based on author Schreck’s own experiences as a high school debater, taking part in constitutional debates around the country to earn money for her college tuition. Through the course of the play, Schreck addresses themes such as women’ rights, immigration, domestic abuse and the history of the United States. Critic Alisa Solomon of Nation calls the play “funny, beguiling and emotionally vivid,” while Time Out New York termed it “A wildfire! Something every citizen should see. Schreck’s play has tears on its cheeks and the torch of liberty in its fist.” Directed by Matt Hawkins, this production of the play was originally presented in South Bend in association with the University of Notre Dame and is now touring Michigan and Indiana.
Full performance listing for Second Annual New Plays Festival “Voices from the Heartland” and “What the Constitution Means to Me” is as follows:
Wednesday, September 18
7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST): Two One-Act Plays: "Doofus Ex" (Deborah Ann Percy and Arnold Johnston); "Rat Trap" (Linda LaRocque)
Thursday, September 19
7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST): Two One-Act Plays: "Wingman" (Dean Johanson); "Legs" (Bill Svelmoe)
Friday, September 20
7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST): “Grand Beach” (David Littell)
Saturday, September 21
2 p.m. CST (3 p.m. EST): “What the Constitution Means to Me”
7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST): “Baby by Number” (Zachary Mark)
Sunday, September 22
2 p.m. CST (3 p.m. EST: “Wormwood Radio Show” (Michael Thomas)
7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST): “What the Constitution Means to Me”
ABOUT DUNES ARTS SUMMER THEATRE
The Dunes Arts Foundation, which operates Dunes Arts Summer Theatre and Education Programs, was incorporated in the State of Indiana in 1951 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Nestled within the woodsy dunes of Michiana Shores, Dunes Summer Theatre is located at about a half mile from the Indiana Dunes and the Lake Michigan shore at 288 Shady Oak Dr, Michigan City, Ind. As northwest Indiana’s longest-running summer theater program, Dunes Summer Theatre has provided professional theater productions for more than seven decades. This one-of-a-kind experience is a highlight of Harbor Country’s cultural fabric, promoting community spirit and embracing inclusivity, diversity and accessibility in all areas of operations. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.dunesARTS.org or call (219) 879-7509. Follow along on social media @dunesartsfoundation.
