Continuing our look back at the past 19 years of Essential Theatre festivals, today we take a look back at the thirteenth Essential Theatre Festival, in 2011.

The 2011 Essential Theatre Festival was another great year for us — three shows we’re still proud of today. Lee Blessing’s GREAT FALLS, Melanie Marnich’s A SLEEPING COUNTRY (Blessing and Marnich are married, which we didn’t even know when we chose those plays!) And the World Premiere of Theroun Patterson’s A THOUSAND CIRCLETS, the first of two Essential Theatre Playwriting Award wins for him. This play went on to be produced again at Detroit Repertory Theatre — another success in Essential’s mission to move Georgia playwrights onto the national stage.