2025 SacTown Play Festival
Thank you for joining us at our 4th Annual SacTown Play Festival that featured the works of aspiring playwrights!
At the festival, each of the playwrights’ scripts were be performed and a panel of judges, who are local theatre professionals, determined the winners for Best Playscript ($200 prize) and Best Directing and Staging ($150 prize – split between the playwright and director), as well as the Holliday Award (the judges choice for overall best actor of the festival).
In addition, the audience had the chance to select their favorite play ($100 prize) as well as who they thought the Best Actor and Best Actress of the festival was!
Here are the winners!
- Best Playscript – Friendly Persuasion by Dan Borengasser
- Best Directing and Staging – The Divorce by Kristy Lin Billuni, Directed by Noah Harris
- Audience Choice Award – Riley versus Riley by Johanna Beale Keller, Directed by Cassandra Weissenberg
- Holliday Award – Angel Riley in Friendly Persuasion and Starbuds
- Best Actress – Cattaryna Tekin in Friendly Persuasion and Playing with Death
- Best Actor – Rick Grantham in Friendly Persuasion and A Rare Find
The Finalists
We had a record number of submissions this year! Thank you to all who submitted! The 7 finalists were blindly chosen by a panel of judges and their scripts were produced at the 2025 SacTown Play Festival in September.
Thank you for taking part in this year’s festival!
- A Rare Find by Mary Donnet Johnson
- Friendly Persuasion by Dan Borengasser
- Playing with Death by Eric Fetske
- Riley Versus Riley by Johanna Beale Keller
- Starbuds by Letha Dawson
- The Big Five Therapy Group by Jennifer Veilleux
- The Divorce by Kristy Lin Billuni
WHEN
Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 1pm (Doors open 30 minutes to curtain)
VENUE
Royal Stage Theatre
6174 Sunrise Blvd.,
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
(Note: the venue is on the Greenback end of the mall, in between where Macy’s Mens and Zumiez used to be)
TICKETS
- $10 – online
- $12 – at the door
About the Festival
The SacTown Play Festival has been created to support aspiring playwrights.
The competition has been designed with the goal to inspire, educate and nurture artists and our community towards a thoughtful and humane world view through the art of story-telling.
We desire to help theatre artists find their voices, cultivate social consciousness and prepare for a lasting career. We support new AND established playwrights and incubate new plays.
We seek to make a lasting, life-long impression on our community – inspiring the audience to continue provocative conversations long after the curtain closes.
Festival participants (Playwrights) will be chosen based on script creativity, characterization, and staging potential. The festival will feature six 1-Act plays (must be 10 to 15 minutes long) written by aspiring playwrights.
A look back at the 2024 SacTown Play Festival
The Plays
A Rare Find
Directed by Edward A. Nason
Written by Mary Donnet Johnson
Synopsis
“Tater” a Vietnam veteran whose PTSD has kept him from working a regular job, shows up to the daily self-imposed task of picking up litter in his neighborhood. Armed with a trash grabber and walking stick made of recycled wood, he meets a distraught woman, Monica, whom he’s never seen before. As the unlikely friendship deepens, they discover they share an experience of trauma that gives them both a unique view of the treasure that can be found within even the most devastating circumstances.
Cast List
- Rick Grantham as “Tater” Thomas (Winner of Audience Choice for Best Actor for the festival)
- Heidi Schuyler as Monica
Friendly Persuasion
WINNER OF BEST PLAY SCRIPT!
Directed by Beth Sheridan
Written by Dan Borengasser
Synopsis
Divorces are always tough – an emotional whirlwind – with many huge decisions to be made. If there are kids, what becomes of them? And how do you split up all your possessions? Because some possessions are a lot harder to divvy up than others–like the husband and wife who are the BFFs of the divorcing couple.
Cast List
- Michelle Silveira as Cora Martin
- Angel Riley as Jack Bonner (Winner of the Holliday Award, as chosen by the judges)
- Stacey Nason as Liz Bonner
- Rick Grantham as Randal Hammond (Winner of Audience Choice for Best Actor for the festival)
- Cattaryna Tekin as Amber Hammond (Winner of Audience Choice for Best Actress for the festival)
Playing with Death
Directed by Laura Luke
Written by Eric Fetske
Synopsis
Cast List
- Cattaryna Goodin as Jaime Foreman (Winner of Audience Choice for Best Actress for the festival)
- Tyler Anderson as Death
Riley versus Riley
WINNER OF AUDIENCE CHOICE FOR FAVORITE PLAY!
Directed by Cassandra Weissenberg
Written by Johanna Beale Keller
Synopsis
Casting List
- Clinton Verge as Riley Armstrong
- William Weissenberg as Riley Ziegler
- Gwendolen Robinson as Blake
Starbuds
Directed by Bender Kynaston
Written by Letha Dawson
Synopsis
The setting is Starbuds, a recreational marijuana store, and the year is 2018. Flower, the sales clerk tending the store, stands behind the counter waiting for customers. In comes Frank, an uptight customer. Frank is uncomfortable and doesn’t know what he wants to buy. Both are in anticipation of a “first date” that evening. Soon another customer enters, who is rather cranky, seeking medical marijuana.
Casting List
- Dani Wiesenthal as Flower
- Angel Riley as Frank (Winner of Audience Choice for Best Actor for the festival)
- Valerie Knowles-Pratt as Cranky Customer
The Big Five Therapy Group
Directed by Erin Renfree
Written by Jennifer Veilleux
Synopsis
What would happen if the Big Five personality traits (from personality psychology) were in group therapy together? Would they use therapy as an opportunity for growth, or would they use their differences as an excuse to remain stuck as whom they believe they are?
Casting List
- Bryn Riley as OPENNESS
- Chad Eldridge as CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
- Erika Anderson as EXTRAVERSION
- Denise Anderson as AGREEABLENESS
- Lisa Derthick as NEUROTICISM
- Bruce Seymour as HONESTY
The Divorce
WINNER OF BEST DIRECTION AND STAGING
Directed by Noah Harris
Written by Kristy Lin Billuni
Synopsis
Gloria wants to offer a friend some professional advice, but Eartha just wants out of the marriage. It’s not your standard divorce lawyer consultation.
Cast List
- Shirley Sayers as Eartha
- Bryn Riley as Gloria
Introductions to each of the plays!
Meet the Playwright, Director, and Cast of “The Divorce”
The Divorce Gloria wants to [...]
Meet the Playwright, Director, and Cast of “The Big Five Therapy Group”
The Big Five Therapy Group [...]
Meet the Playwright, Director, and Cast of “Starbuds”
Starbuds The setting is Starbuds, [...]
Meet the Playwright, Director, and Cast of “Riley versus Riley”
Riley versus Riley Riley Armstrong [...]
Meet the Playwright, Director, and Cast of “Playing with Death”
Playing with Death Jaime is [...]
Meet the Playwright, Director, and Cast of “Friendly Persuasion”
Friendly Persuasion Divorces are always [...]
Meet the Playwright, Director, and Cast of “A Rare Find”
A Rare Find “Tater” a Vietnam [...]
