After a 23-year run at the Bath House Cultural Center and a five-year pandemic-related hiatus, the Festival of Independent Theatres returns in a brand-new location, Theatre Three and its downstair space, Theatre Too.

Performances in Theatre Three

• All Delighted People by Rhett Goldman - After a young artist named Crystal loses her connection to the divine, she creates an experimental play to try to better understand her situation. Within the play, a boy named Henry, abandoned by his mother in infancy, is conditioned to believe that his god has disowned the world. As Henry and his mother get closer to reuniting, Crystal must face the fact that her experiment may not provide her with the answers she’s looking for.
• Gods & Heroes by Paul Williams - A rock and roll musical fairy tale about ’90s rocker Simon Byrd, presumed dead after taking a mysterious new drug. When he wakes in the modern world from a Sleeping Beauty-like coma, he discovers rock and roll itself is dead. Or is it only asleep?
• Out of Line Concepts presents Lord of the Flies: Literature in Motion - Inspired by William Golding’s classic novel, this production opts to use movement in place of dialogue and pushes the boundaries of textual interpretation by using a combination of dance, shadow puppetry, and physically rooted acting, all set to the music of various genres. This creative new interpretation uses a variety of theatrical styles and techniques to convey the heightened and primal emotions of the stranded boys.
• Reel Art presented by Random Stage - Reel Art is a continuously evolving staging of short plays in Spanish where five actors seek to transform both the audience and themselves in relation to a specific topic. Five pieces speak on a universal theme which brings us closer to a greater discovery of ourselves as human beings, LOVE.This year's lineup features a number of projects, including an immersive, Spanish language play cycle about love; a heart-pounding rock musical starring local leading man Gregory Lush; Tilda Grace’s movement-based re-telling of a classic piece of literature; and Spank Bank Time Machine, the whirlwind, fever dream with a message from self-described trauma clown, John Michael.
• Where the F is Joseph Mara? by Mac Welch & Emily Bernet - Joseph Mara is living out his 15 minutes of fame - and then he goes missing. When the possibilities range from hiding in a bunker to lost in space, are the theories really about finding Mara? Or racking up a million followers? Created by Mac Welch and Emily Bernet, this surrealist comedy challenges our fascination with viral conspiracies and the people who fuel them.

Performances in Theatre Too

• New and Improving by Janae Hatchett - Nathan, a former mathlete and current accountant, is convinced to attend a therapy mixer where he encounters two forces of nature: Turk, a self-proclaimed lady’s man, and Piper, a sarcastic smart aleck. With grace like a palm tree in a hurricane, they shove Nathan headlong into the dating pool. Will he sink or will he swim? This sharp and inciteful comedy tugs at the heartstrings and deftly demonstrates how mental illness comes in all shapes and sizes.
• Hi, How Are You? The Unfinished Show by Jaymes Gregory - Daniel Johnston was a musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in the “outsider art” genre. His struggles with bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia are well documented and his music and art have been frequently cited for their "pure" and "childlike" qualities. He communicates through these mediums in a manner that seems simple, but when dissected, reveals a fantastic world of Daniel’s creation.
• An Evening with Penis, presented by Pegasus Theatre - A tongue-in-cheek evening with one of the world’s most talked-about organs where audiences will learn more than they ever wanted to know as Penis takes the stage in this interactive celebration of manhood’s most controversial symbol. At once Shakespearean and sassy, crude and classy, Penis will win hearts and warm cockles as it examine the trials and tribulations of day-to-day life as Penis.
• Man on Man by Jeff Swearingen - Max Blankman is your average, simple ... very simple American man. He works hard as a lumberjack, spends time with his friends, and at the end of the day, comes home to his lovely new bride from Russia. He’s no beta male, because society’s taught him to be strong … and it’s a good thing because his manhood is about to be under attack.
• Selfie Conscious by Danny Anchondo, Jr. - An interactive show in which the host, notoriously bad influencer Mr. Pixie, guides the audience in birthing a digital avatar for his new platform, “Selfie-Conscious.” Be sure to charge your phones and practice your selfie taking skills for this musical journey in which your selfie almost becomes the main character.
• Mystery Show by Jane Doe - Due to the late cancelation of one of the intended participants, this block will feature a chance to see a Mystery Show. Will it be comedy? Maybe it’s dance? Play reading, slam poetry ... the possibilities are endless.

Cabaret/Improv performances

• Love is a Many Splintered Thing featuring Jodi Crawford Wright
• I’m Literally Every Woman starring Sarah Powell, inspired by the now-famous Barbie monologue
• Brunch Cabaret featuring Quintin Jones
• I've Always Been Shy featuring Laura Lyman Payne
• Improv from Mama Tried, Dry Clean Only, and The Imps