History of The Distillery
Past Distillery Official Selections
2026
BLOOD/SUCKER by Anamaria Guerzon
The Ballad of the Unfallen by Maggie Lee
The Holy Blessed Mother Lover Orphanage for Unwanted Girls by Shanna Allman
SCRIBE, or The Sisters Milton, or Elegy for the Unwritten by L M Feldman
Hazzard by Kelleen Conway Blanchard
Refuse it: A Black Woman’s Guide to 21st Century Rage by Phanésia Pharel
If nobody does remarkable things by Emma Gibson
2025
Two Catchers by Brad Goren-Wilson
Aviatrix book and lyrics by Angela Poe Russell, with music and lyrics by Dionne McClain-Freeney
La Tormenta by Ana Luz Zambrana and Aditya Joshi
wild, mysterious forces by M. K. Wessel
i never asked for a gofundme by Jayne Deely
The Last Rites of Uncle Manny by Coco Justino
God's Favorite by Catherine Crimmins
2024
Skin by Anamaria Guerzon
The Park by Jenn Ruzumna and Lisa Every
Possessed by Gloria Majule
Impossible Theories Of Us by John Mabey
Funnie by Jessica Moss
Li by Wei He
Safe Hands by Alara Magritte and Daniel Rosen
2023
This Time, It Will Be Just For You by Maggie Lee
I will miss you when you’re gone by Jessica Moss
Bloomer Girls by Emily Brauer Rogers
Nanay by Molly Olis Krost
Gumiho by Nina Ki
What to Expect When You’re Simulating by Nabra Nelson
Finding Neil Patrick Harris by Donna Hoke
2023-2026
Distillery New Works Festival
For the past four years, The Distillery New Works Festival has upgraded from a reading series to a full weekend festival. Including festival passes, branded shirts, and returning patrons, the festival has quickly become a sought-after annual event!
2026 Distillery New Works Festival
BLOOD/SUCKER by Anamaria Guerzon, directed by Sophia Franzella
"Mr. Galay is fighting to save his Asian American history class for next semester, while students Elias and Abby are just fighting to graduate. But there is something hungry lurking in the walls, watching them...BLOOD/SUCKER is a bloody political satire/horror play about the public school system, and those it feeds off of."
Performs Thursday June 11th at 7pm
The Ballad of the Unfallen by Maggie Lee, directed by Amy Poisson
"The Temple of the Lightning Eel is a legendary school of the fighting arts focused on precision, technique, and aesthetic wisdom, while also providing a safe haven from the continued fallout of the War of the Divide between rival clans. But when a desperate young woman survives a horrifying tragedy and seeks refuge at the Temple, the delicate balance of neutrality is threatened, plunging them into the heart of the conflict. Meanwhile, an earnest bard attempts to record the events through her latest ballad, learning that the truth can only live on with an audience willing to hear it. An epic tale of loyalty, courage, and survival in the face of insurmountable odds, with music and movement, set in the fantastical world of Maggie Lee's award-winning play Sheathed."
Performs Friday June 12th at 7pm
SCRIBE, or The Sisters Milton, or Elegy for the Unwritten by L M Feldman, directed by Adrienne Mackey
"SCRIBE imagines the poet Milton’s relationship with his 3 kept-barely-literate daughters, while he was blind & outcast & composing Paradise Lost and they were transcribing & homemaking & coming of age. Fantastical & unflinching, SCRIBE probes the relationship between genius, privilege, and labor, and mourns the enormity of unmade art by the voices we’ll never get to hear. Set during 17th-century England’s social volatility—and ours, too, now—SCRIBE voices the story of 3 children growing up in the shadow of the canon, of society, and of its cultural and historical legacies."
Performs Saturday June 13th at 3pm
Hazzard by Kelleen Conway Blanchard, directed by Kayla Walker
"Based on a true story, Hazzard looks at the horrific murder of a young heiress at the turn of the century in Olalla Washington. Dr. Linda Hazzard was a Naturopathic Doctor that touted the fasting cure. Her book and fame allowed her to build a Sanitorium in Olalla Washington and treat patients by fasting them and then profiting from their deaths. She was found guilty of manslaughter for killing at least 15 people for financial gain."
Performs Saturday June 13th at 7:30pm
Refuse it: A Black Woman’s Guide to 21st Century Rage by Phanésia Pharel, directed by Xochitl Clare
"Refuse to Mammy. Refuse Shame. Refuse to Explain. REFUSE IT: A BLACK WOMAN’S GUIDE TO 21ST CENTURY RAGE explores the lives of Black women who reject the status quo. Through a kaleidoscope of vignettes, these women confront the costs and benefits of living radically under the persistent weight of the past. Darkly comedic and unapologetically defiant, REFUSE IT asks: If society has truly progressed and living conditions are undeniably better, why don’t we feel better?"
Performs Sunday June 14th at 11am
If nobody does remarkable things by Emma Gibson, directed by Amanda Rountree
"2016: Anna is a rising climate activist. But as the world turns orange and the birds begin to retreat, so too does Anna, to a rural cottage by the sea, to mourn both the death of her mother and the loss of her one great love. 2030: in the middle of a category 6 dust storm, a cargo ship takes refuge in the local harbor. Joel is on board and he needs somewhere to stay. Anna thinks they should rescue him but Paul’s not so sure. Not after what Joel did 14 years ago. A fierce new play about forgiveness that explores what happens when we reach the point of no return."
Performs Sunday June 14th at 3pm
The Holy Blessed Mother Lover Orphanage for Unwanted Girls by Shanna Allman, directed by Melanie Godsey
"It’s 1981 at the Holy Blessed Mother Lover Orphanage for Unwanted Girls where headmistress Ms. Wimple shepherds her horde of disposable darlings into womanhood - that is, until the wealthy and recently widowed Mrs. Teeters arrives and determines that it is in fact her calling to mentor the girls. Will Ms. Wimple realize her dream of one day sipping Mai Tai's on the beach? Will Mrs. Teeters' achieve her lasting legacy? And what about the girls' dreams? Never fear, my little cavities, it's the 1980s and women can be president, too! - theoretically speaking."
Performs Saturday June 13th at 11am
2025 Distillery New Works Festival
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."
Performed 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."
Performed 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."
Performed 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."
Performed 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."
Performed 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."
Performed 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."
Performed Sunday June 15th at 3pm.
2024 Distillery New Works Festival
Skin by Anamaria Guerzon, directed by Zenaida Smith
“Zora is a young, non-binary Filipino artist, aspiring to make their way in the Seattle Tattoo industry. When they find a mentor in Judy, Zora enters the world of tattoo, finding the art form’s deep ties to Filipino culture. Judy teaches Zora how to navigate the tense environment of the white-dominated tattoo industry, while pressures intensify thanks to Carl, the authoritarian shop owner. As the painful history of Filipino colonization begins to crash into the present, Zora finds themself caught at the convergence point of tattoo now and then– discovering what it means to live in a marginalized body.”
Performed Thursday June 6th at 7pm.
The Park by Jenn Ruzumna and Lisa Every, directed by Amy Poisson
“Bev and Libby meet on the same park bench, under the same tree, sharing sandwiches, dreams and memories for the entirety of their lives. Or maybe a century. Or maybe an eternity. Generations of strangers, families, dogs and ghosts share the same space, their lives passing and intersecting as each struggles to make sense of how to be in and of our troubled and beautiful world. The Park explores what we share in being human and how we must move forward even in uncertainty.”
Performed Friday June 7th at 7pm.
Possessed by Gloria Majule, directed by Helen T. Mariam
“When Furaha returns home to Tanzania on a medical leave, her brother Angaza is waiting at the airport to pick her up. Unfortunately for her, he believes her mental illness is in fact a demon possession, and swiftly concocts a plan to sort it out. As the siblings road trip from Dar Es Salaam to Singida, they encounter a variety of colorful characters and testing challenges along the way. They also seize the opportunity to air out their differing opinions…which turn out to be on pretty much everything, from religion, to money, to America. Possessed is a fast-paced dramedy that explores the toll it takes to leave home, and the toll it takes to be back.”
Performed Saturday June 8th at 11am.
Impossible Theories of Us by John Mabey, directed by Willa Barnett
“Two people unite against a crisis and divide on how to break through, revealing that sometimes fantasy is the perfect reality for impossible futures. Gina, a transgender woman, and Keith, a cisgender man, navigate the joys and complexities of life over the course of their relationship. As emerging technologies offer a chance to connect with those who’ve passed away, both must decide what being alive actually means. Impossible Theories Of Us is a play full of complicated hope, unfolding spirituality, and the dynamic ways one couple navigates mortality. Exploring both the possibilities and responsibilities of artificial intelligence, it challenges our expectations of what truly makes us human.”
Performed Saturday June 8th at 3pm.
Funnie by Jessica Moss, directed by Adrienne Mackey
“All Jane wants is to perform comedy. But she is struggling even to get stage time in the court of King Henry VIII. Despite the support of her friend Anne Boleyn, Jane can’t break into the boys’ club of Tudor nightly entertainment – King Henry would rather see acts like Carl the Funny One, who makes wry observations about contemporary life, but who also is known to publicly masturbate. But Carl the Funny One has a degree of power, and an interest in Jane: which he uses to put her in a humiliating and upsetting situation. When the event goes public, the court is divided, and as Carl makes half-hearted non-apologies, Jane still can’t get onstage – until she and Anne have finally had enough. Inspired by the very short Wikipedia entry about Jane Foole, or Jane the Foole, the only female court jester ever depicted, and current events.”
Performed Saturday June 8th at 7pm.
Li by Wei He, directed by Divya Rajan
“Li, a mid-career thief, suddenly finds herself taking on too much responsibility. She breaks into an apartment and ends up emptying her pockets to feed its old, blind and starving resident. She gets a phone call from her estranged brother who tells her that he’s dying from cancer and now it’s her job to take care of their mother. With three mouths to feed, Li has to reconsider her career choice. Can her street smarts help her survive? A play with a radio, a hen, and a really good fart joke.”
Performed Sunday June 9th at 11am.
Safe Hands by Alara Magritte and Daniel Rosen, directed by Grace Edgar
“Safe Hands is an original musical that takes an honest look at life before Roe v. Wade. Set in 1956 New Jersey, the story follows five women whose lives become bound by the secret of “Frankie’s House” – an underground abortion clinic on the far side of town. Newlywed Lydia’s suburban tranquility is shattered when her seemingly-perfect neighbor confides a desperate secret: she received an abortion at Frankie’s House. As Lydia’s life becomes increasingly entangled with the women who run the clinic, she’ll be forced to determine: how far is she willing to go to help someone in need before her world unravels? Set against a soaring folk rock score, Safe Hands is a thrilling and heartfelt look at the hidden lives of 20th century women and the communities they forge behind closed doors.”
Performed Sunday June 9th at 4pm.
2023 Distillery New Works Festival
This Time, It Will Be Just For You by Maggie Lee*, directed by Amy Poisson
The only way to truly fix past mistakes is time travel, right? Well, Rae has a time machine and she's gonna try. A play about connection, sacrifice, and the eternal metaphysical paradox of loving and letting go.
Performed Friday April 14th, 2023 at 7pm
I will miss you when you’re gone by Jessica Moss, directed by Adrian Prendergast
After her death by suicide, Evelyn haunts fellow intern Celeste at the Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains. A web of interconnection between Celeste, Evelyn, Celeste's manager, Robin, and Celeste's recently deceased mother, Theresa, soon becomes apparent.
Performed Saturday April 15th, 2025 at 12pm
Bloomer Girls by Emily Brauer Rogers*, directed by AnnaClaire Day
Bloomer Girls is a fictional account of real life women in the late 1800s who traveled the United States playing sports and looking for adventure. This ragtag women's team headed by a female manager travels the West playing local teams. Half vaudevillian, but trying to prove their true athleticism and strength as women, they continue to try and overcome the stereotypes of society and their own families. Juxtaposed with the 1800s team, modern college softball players face similar struggles as they attempt to find room in a sport that divides them from men and still limits their options at the top of the game.
Performed Saturday April 15, 2023 at 3pm
Nanay by Molly Olis Krost*, directed by Anamaria Guerzon
Angela has arrived to congratulate her twin sister on her new baby but, instead finds Eve "cohabitating" with a Filipino vampire with an infamous hunger for all things fetus. Does Angela believe Eve's claim that all is well with her new relationship? NANAY, a new play by Molly Olis Krost, incorporates Filipino mythology and tradition to compare eastern and western approaches to sisterhood, trauma, and healing.
Performed Saturday April 15, 2023 at 7pm
Gumiho by Nina Ki, directed by Helen T. Mariam
Kam, queer Korean adoptee and former reality TV star, has just been broken up with by her longtime girlfriend. She quickly re-immerses herself in the alcohol- and lust-fueled world of the Los Angeles queer scene, where she uses and is used by women, and has sex without the burden of intimacy. Though a series of casual hookups, Kam moves from enjoying these casual hookups to questioning her value as a person - and finally reaches rock bottom in the form of a moment of intimacy with the one person who has always loved and believed in her: her best friend, Hyun-Joo.
Performed Sunday April 16, 2023 at 12pm
What to Expect When You’re Simulating by Nabra Nelson*, directed by Lia Sima Fakhouri
In the year 2080, the new normal involves taboos on pregnancy, car ownership, red meat, and suburban homes. It involves travel restrictions, a mixed-race majority, and ongoing climate disasters. But other than that, everything is the old normal. Except for Hoda’s experimental pregnancy. As she waits for her husband Ahmed to adopt a child to round out their family, she starts getting pains that her Doctor can’t explain, and she meets an intriguing new friend named JeeYoung. The clock ticks as the Big One approaches to wash away Hoda’s plans, but she is determined to fly away in time.
Performed Sunday April 16, 2023 at 3pm
Finding Neil Patrick Harris by Donna Hoke*, directed by Castor Kent
When frenemy nail techs Cha-Cha and Katie are privileged to hear a favorite customer's bizarre dying wish, they set off to make it come true--and learn that success is relative but friendship doesn't have to be.
Performed Sunday April 16, 2023 at 7pm
2005 - 2023
Distillery New Works Reading Series
Since the dawn of time…