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What does liberty mean to you? As America commemorates its 250th anniversary, Femuscripts Productions invites audiences to explore that question through What’s Liberty?, an evening of original ten-minute plays written by South Florida women. The staged readings will take place October 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sandrell Rivers Theater in Miami.
Presented at the Sandrell Rivers Theater in Miami, What’s Liberty? brings together an eclectic collection of theatrical voices, each offering a distinctive interpretation of liberty. Through humor, drama, personal reflection, and unexpected twists, the plays examine the freedoms we cherish, the limitations we confront, and the contradictions inherent in the American promise of liberty.
The presentation is the culmination of a playwriting workshop developed by Femuscripts Productions, a nonprofit theater company dedicated to supporting women playwrights and bringing their stories to the stage. During the workshop, participating writers developed original scripts through guided instruction, collaborative discussion, structured feedback, and revision.
“Liberty is a word we use so frequently that we sometimes forget how differently people experience it,” says Laurie Tanner, co-founder of Femuscripts Productions. “We wanted to give women playwrights the opportunity to explore what liberty means to them—not necessarily as a political concept, but as something personal, complicated, and deeply human.”
The staged reading features professional South Florida actors bringing these new works to life, offering audiences the opportunity to experience fresh theatrical writing and engage with perspectives that are by turns provocative, poignant, and entertaining.
By turns funny, poignant, unsettling, and provocative, the plays examine freedom through intimate human experiences rather than political slogans. From an elderly woman’s rebellion against hospital restrictions to a teenager declaring independence from her father, each story asks a deceptively simple question: What does it really mean to be free?
The seven original plays include:
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SET ME FREE — A young woman struggles to escape her protective older sister’s care, only to uncover a disturbing secret that casts their relationship in a sinister new light.
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THE BOWL — A woman contemplating a life-changing move to Italy wrestles with the competing demands of love, fear, and the freedom to follow her dreams.
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GIVE ME BACK MY FREEDOM — An irrepressible 85-year-old patient battles hospital bureaucracy and the people determined to protect her, raising questions about autonomy and personal responsibility.
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BUZZ — A visit to a hair salon becomes a funny and tender exploration of loss, identity, and the courage to begin again.
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BAD DAD — A confrontational podcaster faces an unexpected reckoning when a school social worker arrives to discuss his teenage son, in a sharp comedy about assumptions, masculinity, and understanding.
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NO CONTACT — A teenager’s declaration of independence from her father sparks a funny and emotionally charged Thanksgiving confrontation about family, grief, and the ties that bind us.
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AT WAR’S END — A young Civil War veteran returns to Missouri determined to reclaim the woman he loves and the future he envisioned. But haunted by the violence of war and driven by dangerous convictions, he must confront whether love can survive the conflicts he has brought home.
What’s Liberty? is supported in part by a $1,000 Women in the Arts Grant from the Skirt Foundation, whose commitment to supporting women artists helps make this creative endeavor possible.
Founded in 2020, Femuscripts Productions has produced original plays, staged readings, short play festivals, films, and educational workshops throughout South Florida. The organization continues to foster opportunities for women writers to develop their craft, collaborate with theater professionals, and share their work with the community.
EVENT INFORMATION
- Production: What’s Liberty? — An Evening of Original Short Plays
- Presented by: Femuscripts Productions, Inc.
- Venue: Sandrell Rivers Theater, Miami, Florida
- Date and Time: October 22 and 23 at 7:30 PM
- Tickets: $35 general admission; senior and theater industry discounts available.
Femuscripts Productions, Inc. is a South Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater company founded in 2020 to champion theatrical works by women and nonbinary playwrights. Through productions, staged readings, workshops, and community partnerships, Femuscripts provides opportunities for artists to develop and present original work while encouraging dialogue and connection through theater.
