2024 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Essential Theatre Play Festival, and it has been a banner year.

From the Southern-Fried Bake-Off 24 Hour Play Festival in January, to our summer playwriting classes, to the array of panels and speaking events we presented or were invited to participate in, and of course our Celebration of Georgia Playwrights in April and the Silver Anniversary Play Festival in August, 2024 has been a year to remember and a powerful testament to the legacy of creativity, strength, and talent of Georgia playwrights.

In a retrospective article in ArtsATL, Luke Evans wrote, “Founding Artistic Director Peter Hardy’s goal to support Georgia playwrights from conception to full production has resulted in some of the best works of the last quarter century.”

Atlanta Magazine says, “Essential Theatre has launched the careers of some of the nation’s most important contemporary writers.”

And Creative Loafing quips that Essential is “Essential in more ways than one”

Our dedication to creating opportunities for Georgia’s playwrights is unwavering, and our commitment to providing meaningful opportunities for our audience to connect with them and be a part of their creative process is tireless. We are so proud and delighted with what we’ve accomplished together this year, which is a testament to the 25 years of relationship building and process refining that came before. Here’s to another 25 years of Giving Georgia Playwrights a Voice!