New Works Festival
Four staged readings of brand new shows.
September 18-20, 2025
Art House North, St. Paul, MN
Missed the Boat Theatre is proud to host its first New Works Festival on September 18-20, 2025 at Art House North in Saint Paul, MN. Out of over 100 submissions, four plays were chosen to be read dramatically onstage, in front of the playwright, director, and an audience. This is one of the final stages of development before these shows are ready to be produced fully. This festival is dedicated to the development of shows written from a Catholic Christian worldview.
Tickets on sale now!
This Year’s Lineup
Home
Thursday, September 18 at 7 PM
Written by Fleur Alys Dobbins
Directed by Elizabeth Teefy McGregor
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It’s 2018 in Texas where five siblings traverse a rocky landscape: the caretaking of their elderly mother, Maryrose, who is fighting tooth and nail against the onslaught of Alzheimer’s. Maryrose, a southern matriarch, must now relinquish her long and coveted control as the children make the difficult decision to move her to a memory care facility - and she flatly does not want to go.
Home, a dramedy, spans the six months before the passing of Maryrose from summer through Christmastime. Act one occurs in Maryrose’s own home as negotiations are managed, decisions are made, and realities are intensified. Act two takes place in an altogether foreign place, the Home; another paradigm with new helpers, much needed wisdom, unexpected arrivals… and one conversion no one saw coming. Before the passing of Maryrose, what has long been in the dark will explode into a miracle of light. Home contemplates where, and what, “home” really is and if it is ever too late to find it.
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Gwen Gmeinder as Maryrose
Michelle Adam as Elizabeth (Beth)
Jayne Windnagel as Susan (Sue)
Christopher DeVaan as Trenton (Trent)
Mark Geis as Justin
Angela Cahill as Genevieve (Gen)
Ana Martin as Miss Trudy (Miss Tru)
Molly Miner as Miss Ada
Maddie Hubbly as Miss Rebecca
Brad Vanasse as Father EsperanzaStage Directions read by Mara Teefy Hertelendy
Long Shot
Friday, September 19 at 7 PM
Written by Fr. Kyle Kowalczyk
Music by Chad Berg
Directed by Michael Conroy
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Adapted from a screenplay by Haynes Brooke
Melvin had his whole life planned out, and used all of his actuarial skills to avoid every risk that could derail that plan. It was working great, until he met Christa. Then it was like someone tampered with the odds of probability and nothing added up anymore. First, he is diagnosed with a very rare and deadly disease, then his childhood friend convinces him to spend the rest of his short and meaningless life doing all the things he’s missed out on, like asking out a girl––the first girl he sees––which of course happens to be Christa. Then, because, of course he can’t tell her he’s in love with her when he’s dying, he does something dumb instead like playing the slot machines, and wouldn’t you know it he wins a trip to the moon! (You can’t make this stuff up!) So, now he really can fulfill his lifelong dream––that he had stuffed down to the bottom of his soul when his parents died––of flying to the moon, which really will be awesome and a very sweet ending to a very crazy story, except… she won’t be on the moon. So, what should he do now?
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Michael Koester as Melvin Saline
Tamara May as Christa Petersen
Ben Stefonowicz as Deke
Rachel Audi as Sally Petersen
Payton Morris as Ensemble
Sam Patet as Ensemble
Nic Persoon as Ensemble
Michael Conroy as Ensemble
Bella Schaps as Ensemble
Veronica Kramer as Ensemble
Lara Moll as EnsembleStage Directions read by Rob Conroy
How to Supervise Women
Saturday, September 20 at 2 PM
Written by Lou Clyde
Directed by Christina Malloy
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It’s 1942 and the Consolidated Electronics leadership team is faced with hiring women for factory jobs ordinarily held by men. But women in factories scare the hell out of them. The newly hired female assembly team on line 3C breaks all stereotypes and delivers excellence with comedy and heart. How to Supervise Women is a poignant and touching historical comedy with a topical social message.
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Leo Martin as George Perroni
Andrew Schafer as Herman Mueller
Elizabeth Schafer as Loretta Beutel
Valerie Martin as Shirley Kaminski
Monica Clarke as Millie Kram
Alexandra Brutus as Joyce JohnsonStage Directions read by Abigail Oldenberg
The Martin Sisters
Saturday, September 20 at 7 PM
Written by Samantha Vargo and Olivia Baum
Directed by Jaclyn Mack
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In The Martin Sisters, a family of five sisters and their father wrestle with their family ties, faith in God, and–above all–what to do with the rest of their lives. Inspired by classic sisterhood stories like Little Women and Sense and Sensibility, this play tells the true story of a band of sisters coming of age in a Catholic way. Set in late 19th-century France, their family includes three members (Thérèse, Louis, and Zélie) who went on to be officially canonized as saints in the Catholic Church. What was it about their family life that led to such holy outcomes? What were the sisters like who haven’t been declared saints? And what does it mean to hear the voice of God? Follow along with Marie, Pauline, and the whole Martin family to find out–and be inspired by sisters who learned that “the good Lord does not do things by halves; He always gives what we need. Let us then carry on bravely.” –St. Zélie Martin
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Emma Knapik as Marie Martin
Bernadette O'Keefe as Pauline Martin
Catherine Kracht as Léonie Martin
Monica Kracht as Céline Martin
Lucy Kracht as Thérèse Martin
Nikelle Morris as Zélie Martin
Marcela Hedrich as Sr. Marie-Dosithèe
Fr. Aric Aamodt as Père Pichon
Christopher Mogel as Louis MartinStage Directions read by Clare Kracht
Special acknowledgement to our runners-up: The Lost Art of the Private Eye by Hannah Reller and Questions for My Mother by Kiley Lawrence.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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A staged reading is when a play is performed onstage by a cast without costumes or set. The actors perform the play behind music stands with full heart and soul without the added technical elements that create a full production. You can expect a great performance, just with no costume, set, or full memorization.
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We LOVE having children in our audiences--it's why we have our family friendly preview for our mainstage shows. However, our venue for the New Works Festival does not have any closed spaces for you to use if your child acts up, and it has excellent acoustics -- great for theater, but will amplify any noises that children make during the performances. We encourage you to use your best judgement before bringing young children out of respect for the actors onstage and your fellow audience members.
Festival Timeline