Original Works Weekend Debuts at PACA
Five works from local playwrights pack each performance
BEGINNING FRIDAY, JUN. 20
There's something special about seeing an original play. As an audience member, you feel a kinship and connection with the work that goes beyond one's usual theatrical experience. Often, a piece is being performed for the very first time anywhere, and realistically may only ever see that theatrical run. That ephemeral wonder of a work's potential is also a glimpse into the author's writing process. You begin to notice familiar names and are able to chart their evolution as artists.
That being said, here are five names to watch: Daniel Collette, Mitchell King, James Hain, Howard Lang, and Brenna Thummler.
Each of these local writers has a piece in 2025's Original Works Weekend, presented by Spotlight814 and the Performing Arts Collective Alliance (PACA).
The Original Works Weekend will also provide a key time for PACA's landmark fundraising campaign: Rise with PACA. The effort eyes two key goals: a build-out of the building's fifth floor and a full elevator renovation. During this time, donations will receive matching funds of up to $500,000, provided by a pledge from Erie Insurance Chairman Tom Hagen.
Starting off the show will be the short, Denise, in Office 208 by Daniel Collette. The author hails from St. Paul, Minnesota and moved to Erie in 2024. The work finds the character Sam seeking out their coworker Denise, on a quest sparked by paperwork.
Couched by James Hain follows Sarah and Greg on a romantic evening. But there's just one problem: Sarah's sofa is possessed by the spirit of her late boyfriend, Scott. Hain is happy to return to his hometown of Erie after many years (and performances) in Youngstown, Ohio.
Alone in the Dark at the End of the World by Mitchell King tells the post-apocalyptic story of Heather and Will, who get to know each other despite having the world's dating pool catastrophically drained.
Following a brief intermission, the second half concludes with two one-act works, Would You? Or How My Roommate Turned Into a Hotdog by Howard Lang and We Hate a Haunting by Brenna Thummler. The former finds two roommates, Liffey and Myser on a wild, twisting journey to pair art and food, while reckoning with their own personal disappointments.
Haunting takes a next-door disagreement directly to the afterlife, as two ethereal couples face a clash of cultures. "I imagine it's quite draining to spend an afterlife being bothered by the dead couple next door," mused Thummler.
She explained that "it's been beautiful seeing what my framework can become when a group of creatives shapes it into their own finished piece. It's collaboration that fuels theatre, and the playwright is only a small part of that."
Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. // 1505 State St., Second Floor // $15 Suggested Donation // For more information, go to PACA1505.org
