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🏆 💰 🎭 Our Founding Artistic Director, Peter Hardy, presents this year’s Prize to Playwright Susan Swavely @susanswavely for her winning play, Helen of the West, which opened tonight. Congratulations, Susan, on this well-deserved recognition! Helen of the West is now showing at @7stagesatl . Visit essentialtheatre.com for the full schedule and tickets.

As part of the festival this year : Join us on Saturday August 8 at 2pm for the dramatic conclusion of this year’s 10-Minute Play Bootcamp, a public showcase of brand new 10-Minute Plays sure to delight and entertain! Featuring brand new 10-Minute Plays by our Bootcamp playwrights read by local Atlanta actors. Tickets and schedule at essentialtheatre.com

We are on the @7stagesatl marquee! 🎭✨ Get ready for the 2026 Essential Theatre Play Festival this August, come experience bold new works by Georgia playwrights, including world premieres, plays and readings. We’d love to see you there! Get the full festival schedule and tickets at essentialtheatre.com. The 2026 Essential Theatre Play Festival runs August 7–23 at 7 Stages in Atlanta and features the world premiere of Helen of the West alongside new plays, readings, and special events. See you at the festival! 🎉

Meet the cast of Helen of the West by Susan Swavely. Directed by Peter Hardy. 🎭 Winner of the 2026 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award, Helen of the West is a rich re-imagining of the fabled story of Helen of Troy, now seen as a mail order bride in the American West. Elaine Wadsworth (Aphrodite/Choreographer) first worked with Peter Hardy in a small role in Essential Theatre’s Cinders in 1992 in this same space. In the interim, Elaine performed Titania/Hippolyta, Nerissa, and Nurse at The Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern, danced the role of Carmen with the Georgia Ballet, and danced and choreographed for Lee Harper with The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, she starred in the film A Key to the Plot, produced and written by Peter Hardy and Essential Cinema. Little did they know that 34 years after meeting, they would be married. She is grateful for Peter’s belief in her and partnership and love. For schedule and tickets, visit essentialtheatre.com

Meet the cast of Helen of the West by Susan Swavely. Directed by Peter Hardy. 🎭 Winner of the 2026 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award, Helen of the West is a rich re-imagining of the fabled story of Helen of Troy, now seen as a mail order bride in the American West. Karine Dieuvil (Helen) is a Haitian-American actress making her Atlanta leading-lady debut in this world premiere. Her Atlanta stage credits include the world premiere of A Very Special Hospital (Essential Theatre), Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet and Le Malade Imaginaire (Théâtre du Rêve), all Suzi-recommended productions. On screen, she starred in the feature film The Lemonade Files, winner of Best in Comedy at the Los Angeles International Film Festival, and has appeared across tvOne Network’s Fatal Attraction, Payback, and For My Man. A classically trained, multilingual Afro-Latina artist, Karine has performed on an Atlanta stage every year since 2023 — this year, she returns to ATL to lead one. Love to her community who support her through every season. Find her @KUGHREEN. The struggle persists. For schedule and tickets, visit essentialtheatre.com

🎭 2026 Essential Theatre Play Festival Showcasing Georgia’s Best Playwrights August 7-23, 2026 at 7Stages in Little Five Points For more than 25 years, Essential Theatre has been bringing new work by Georgia playwrights to the stage, and the 2026 Essential Theatre Festival continues this long tradition. Opening the Festival on August 7 will be Helen of the West by Susan Swavely, winner of the 2026 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award. This year’s Playwriting Award is sponsored by Joseph and Alisa Alonso. The Festival will also include staged readings and special presentations of new plays by Georgia playwrights. View Schedule and Get Tickets! Now at essentialtheatre.com

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