"Pass the Salt, Please." heads to Miami in June for SE premiere in "America's Short Play Festival"!

What do the following playwrights have in common: David Ives, Jeffrey Hatcher, Kenneth Lonergen, Brian Friel, Jose Rivera, David Mamet, Tina Howe, Christopher Durang, Jane Martin, David Lindsay Abaire, Shel Silverstein, Neil LaBute and Steven Dietz?

They've all had at least one short play performed at City Theatre's Summer Shorts Festival in Miami. And my award-winning "dirty little play" - "Pass the Salt, Please." - will be among those represented at this year's festival, dubbed as the home of “America’s Short Play Festival”. From City Theatre's website - "With a growing reputation for artistic excellence, the company has a strong following with thousands who celebrate this popular festival as the official kick-off of the summer season and “the COOL thing to do on a HOT summer night”.

With packed houses and rave reviews annually, Summer Shorts is one of the few festivals nationally devoted to World or Florida Premieres of “shorts”, original comedies and dramas running 3 - 20 minutes each. "PTSP." will get a 5-week run in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale from May 30 - June 28 and, as this is an Equity (union) production, I get a contract...which my father is very happy about. Check out City Theatre's site here.

City Theatre also has an artistic alliance with one of the nation’s most prestigious regional theatres, the Actors Theatre of Louisville, which sponsors the internationally renowned Humana Festival of New American Plays. As co-sponsors of the National Ten-Minute Play Contest, City Theatre and ATL receive over 1,200 annual submissions for consideration for the Summer Shorts and Humana Festivals.

Incidentally, I had submitted "PTSP." for the National Ten-Minute Play Contest last year. Probably too risque. City Theatre Artistic Director Stuart Meltzer got ahold of it and I got the call Tuesday. Seems in the last year there's been a demand for "naughtier" productions, so City Theatre added "Undershorts" to their festival's slate. Enter "PTSP."

I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that I'm of the same caliber as the playwrights I mentioned above. But I will say that a burgeoning playwright such as myself can't ask for better company. This sort of exposure is excellent for the playwright and the play, as well as the opportunity to foster a relationship with two very influential theaters - City Theatre and Actors Theatre.

Check back for updated information.