City Theatre’s Summer Shorts program is back for its 28th season, and this year, it features an all-new Homegrown edition spotlighting Miami's best emerging playwrights. This annual festival has been a staple in the South Florida arts community, and executive director Gladys Ramirez stopped by Inside South Florida to share all the details.
The Summer Shorts program was first launched in 1996 by the City Theatre founders as a way to bring fresh and diverse theatrical performances to Miami during the summer months. Originally hosted at the Ring Theatre at UM, the program featured a double program day with lunch in the middle. Over the years, it has grown into a significant annual festival every June, featuring hundreds of South Florida artists who have gone on to achieve great things in the world of theatre.
This year, the program is titled "Summer Shorts: Flipping the Script," and it aims to celebrate the vibrant arts community in Miami by showcasing local playwrights alongside nationally recognized talent. The program will feature eight short plays, offering a season's worth of programming in one night.
In addition to the local playwrights, the program includes the Susan J. Westfall National Short Playwriting Contest, named after one of the co-founders who was a passionate advocate for playwrights. Each year, the contest invites playwrights from around the country to submit their short plays and musicals. With up to 1,000 submissions annually, the selection process ensures a diverse range of genres and voices.
“Ever since 1996, [City Theatre] was established around the short play format as a great way to include a lot of different voices, stories, and actors. Ever since then, we've been pioneering, not only in South Florida but also nationally, the short play format,” Gladys stated.
The 10-minute play format used in the Summer Shorts program is not only a unique theatrical experience but also a way to experience a season's worth of programming in a single evening. "You might watch eight plays over the year somewhere else. Here, you're going to watch eight plays in one night with us," added Gladys.
For those interested in attending, "City Theatre’s Summer Shorts: Flipping the Script" will be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, offering a dynamic mix of performances that celebrate both local and national talent. This year's lineup promises to deliver unexpected stories and compelling narratives that reflect the diverse cultural tapestry of Miami.
For more information about Summer Shorts and to purchase tickets, visit arshtcenter.org.
