Festival@First 13: Superstitious will collect 8-10 original short plays, and will explore the weird, the wacky, and the sometimes spooky world of superstition.

Superstition is a widely held belief, typically not based on reason or science, that future events can be influenced by one's behavior in some supernatural way. What could go wrong when you mess with these beliefs, passed down through generations, shared across continents, and perpetuated in popular culture? 

Say “Bloody Mary” three times? Break a mirror? Walk under a ladder? What could happen?! The outcome is up to you, but we hope it will be hilarious, uncanny, and maybe a little twisted. We’re looking for each playwright’s take on the theme of superstition, which must be the focal point of each submitted play. 

Deadline: January 31, 2025

None Escape is an adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells set in a trauma support group in the present day. The story follows Prentiss, who tells the support group her story of being shipwrecked on a mysterious island inhabited by Moreau, a scientist conducting disturbing experiments in vivisection, transforming animals into human-like creatures.

Performances: March 14–29, 2025

Theatre@First is committed to creating anti-racist theatre and community. Please visit our new Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Section to explore the work of our Anti-Racist Change Committee (ARCC) and the policies and tools adopted by our Steering Committee to move our theatre community toward that goal.

Theatre@First is thrilled to receive a 2024 DASH DEI Impact Award from the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres (EMACT).

This award recognizes that "Theatre@First has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion values, not only within your productions but also throughout the Somerville community... Your continuous efforts to bring together people from diverse backgrounds, mentor members committed to social justice, and advocate for anti-racism have made a lasting impact on the community." 

The real reward of this work is the expanding depth and breadth of our theatre community and the ever-increasing quality a wider range of voices brings to our productions. Our sincere thanks to everyone within our organization who has prioritized these vital efforts to create lasting change at Theatre@First. We hope this award will underscore the need to continue and expand this essential work.