Under the artistic direction of playwright Marcia Jablonski, the Alley Stage Reading Series provides space for Midwestern playwrights to share their work, gather meaningful feedback, and for actors from the region to engage with new works. This helps Shake Rag Alley fulfill a key part of its mission: cultivating the creativity that thrives in our rural community. We’re celebrating five years of the Alley Stage Reading Series!

Playwrights who are current residents of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota are invited to share their works-in-progress for a staged reading and talkback at our intimate outdoor amphitheater, Alley Stage. For the performance, Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts provides a venue (with rain space), facilitates casting, and holds a post-performance reception.

If selected, playwrights will receive a stipend and a free one-night stay in our charming accommodations. We’ll have one rehearsal on the morning of the performance, and you are asked to guide and direct it.

Alley Stage Reading Series Dates

• Sunday, June 8
• Sunday, August 17
• Sunday, Sept 7

Submissions are due January 31, 2025. Submit here.

Our Alley Stage is a magical space carved out of an old quarry; the sunlight through the trees on summer afternoons provides a unique background as the staged readings come to life. For more information about the series, our stage, and how you can be a part of the literary programming at Shake Rag Alley, please contact executive director Christina Kubasta at ckubasta@shakeragalley.org

If you’d like to join a cast, or perform music at a future Alley Stage event, please share your information here.