As a writers’ group, Port City Playwrights meets regularly to read and provide feedback on each other’s scripts. We also showcase members’ work by producing short films and stage plays. Our signature offering is Ten-Minute Miscellany, which presents several short plays by different PCP writers and has been a perennial audience favorite since 2020. Stay tuned for information about our upcoming Miscellany in 2026.
Our most recent show!
Nominated for a 2025 Wilmington Theatre Award, Ten-Minute Miscellany celebrates the short play genre by offering ten different plays from ten different writers.
With styles ranging from dark drama to kooky comedy, the show offers something for everyone. Each short play drops the audience into a different place, time, and mood. Watch what happens when…
A therapy skeptic attempts analysis for the first time in COUNSELING, by Walter Johnson.
Second-marriage newlyweds find their lives upended by their decorator in INTERIORS, by Don Wood.
An ordinary airline flight turns into a white-knuckle experience in EMERGENCY LANDING by Beth Ann Bryant-Richards.
A gang of thieves hits a snag retrieving their loot in ON THE LAM WITH WOLFIE, by Drina Connors Kay.
Good friends ruffle each other’s feathers (or is it fur?) in WAITING FOR DOGGO, by Kelly Daugherty.
Two strangers unspool the power — and burden — of the names they’ve been given in HI MY NAME IS, by Rich Clark.
A young woman pushed to the edge hatches a chilling plan in FRIENDLY FAVOR, by Madisyn Fleming.
Two young hearts face a life-changing crossroads in GIRL ON THE BEACH, by Rose-Mary Harrington.
A routine police interview spirals into something unexpected in JUST A GOOD SAMARITAN, by Susan M. Steadman.
A mild-mannered couple’s anniversary night at the theatre veers wildly off-script in PLACES, by Elizabeth Thuy Gordon.
Previous productions:
PCP proudly made its Brunswick County debut in November 2024 at Southport’s Brunswick Little Theatre. Best of 10-Minute Miscellany reprised nine of our most popular plays from the past three years, plus a brand-new one. Audiences came out in droves to enjoy this entertaining, fast-paced theatrical smorgasbord, with a 99% sell-out over three days.
THE PLAYS:
A Beautiful Lie written and directed by Drina Connors Kay
Angel Michael by Richard M. Trask, directed by Jen Ingulli
Disclosure by Don Wood, directed by Cat Thomas
Dog-in-Law by Kelly Daugherty, directed by Patrick Raynor
One-Cat Limit by Elizabeth Gordon, directed by Victor Gallo
Over the Moon by Lee Ewing, directed by Cat Thomas
Paramour written and directed by Rose-Mary Harrington
Shady Butt HOA written and directed by Patrick Raynor
The Keys of Life written and directed by Lee Mehler
The Reunion by Marie Marrinan, directed by Jen Ingulli
Ten-Minute Miscellany
(Spring 2024)
Proudly supported by the North Carolina Arts Council,
a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources,
and by the Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County.
Ten-Minute Miscellany
(Spring 2023)
Proudly supported by the North Carolina Arts Council,
a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources,
and by the Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County.
OMITTED HISTORY Part III
(NOVEMBER 2022)
OMITTED HISTORY Part II
(SEPTEMBER 2022)
TEN-MINUTE MISCELLANY
(SUMMER 2022)
OMITTED HISTORY Part I
(MAY 2022)
PORT CITY SHORTS
(MAY-JUNE 2021)
Port City Shorts was PCPP’s first-ever showcase of original short films. Penned by PCPP writers, selected by the directors in February, cast and shot in March and April, it streamed May 21 – June 12, 2021.
THE POWER OF ONE
(January 2021)
The Power of One: A Virtual Monologue Showcase Featuring an eclectic collection of 11 new, original, short monologues, all performed by local actors, the show streamed online January 2 through January 10, 2021 to an enthusiastic reception.
ABOUT THE PLAYS
ALEXA…PLAY HAMILTON A man and his virtual assistant battle for supremacy. Written and performed by Lee Mehler. Directed by Cat Thomas.
BREAKING AND ENTERING An ex-gang member seeks redemption at Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall. Written by Alfreda Marshburn. Performed by Tyrell Munn. Directed by Rose-Mary Harrington.
COVIDO INCOGNITO When everyone else is wearing masks, what’s a bandit to do? Written, performed, and directed by Patrick Raynor.
DEEDS NOT WORDS The personal meets the historical in this story of a 1920s suffragette. Written and directed by Rose-Mary Harrington. Performed by Diana Kyle.
I WAS THERE She’s been around for millions of years, just waiting to show herself. Written by Kim Adams. Performed by Brandy Lowry. Directed by ReGina McLeod.
KING OF THE ROAD This panhandler has something to teach, and maybe also to learn. Written by Don Wood. Performed by Jeremy Weir. Directed by Kayla Hager.
OLD MARTHA HUBBARD What could this sweet little lady be hiding in her cupboard? Only her doggie knows. Written by Drina Kay. Performed by Penelope H. Grover. Directed by Kayla Hager.
PANDEMIC TRAVELS In the wee hours anything might happen when an exhausted Uber driver picks up a quirky older woman. Written by John Stickney. Performed by Allen Jackson Crowell. Directed by ReGina McLeod.
TELL ME This eyewitness needs to give her statement, but that’s easier said than done when you’re neuroatypical…and possibly to blame. Written by Elizabeth Gordon. Performed by Katrina Hargrave. Directed by Susan M. Steadman.
THE ODD AND THE ODDS Two potentially deadly mishaps involving automobiles can’t faze this guy. Written by Richard M. Trask. Performed by Joel Zuiker. Directed by Cat Thomas.
VESTAL VIRGINS She’s a pious 82-year-old virgin with mommy issues. And boy does she want to be on TV! Written by Kelly Daugherty. Performed by Heather Murray-Price. Directed by Susan M. Steadman.
TEN-MINUTE MISCELLANY
(February 2020)
PCPP presented Ten-Minute Miscellany on Feb. 18-19, 2020 at the Stein Studio Theatre in historic Thalian Hall. We were stunned by the massive audience turn-out. Tuesday was close to capacity, and on Wednesday we added an extra row of seats in front, as well as to the side, and we still had to turn people away! Clearly, there is a demand for original programming such as this.
About the show
Ten-Minute Miscellany consisted of seven plays, in seven different styles, written by seven playwrights, with three different directors. Lighting design by Kayla Hager. Stage managed by Joshua Drew, with assistance from John Stickney.
Rose-Mary Harrington directed her own play The Wedding Dress, starring Diana Kyle, Brandy Lowry, Joshua Drew, and Nick Newman.
Kayla Hager directed three plays: Richard M. Trask‘s The Lake-ness Monster, starring Elizabeth Michaels and John D’Amato; Joshua Drew‘s Paranoia, starring Jeremy Weir, Allen Crowell Jackson, Joe Renton, and Clifton Ballard; and Patrick Raynor’s Play on, POTUS! starring Patrick Raynor, Cat Thomas, and Joshua Lowry.
Regina McLeod directed three plays: Kim Adams’ Jam Session, starring Lovay Robinson, Shaun Mitchell, Katrina Hargrave, and Joy James; Elizabeth Gordon‘s The Fine Art of Extinction, starring Victor Gallo, Nick Newman, and Paige Copenhaver; and Alfreda Marshburn‘s Even Me, starring Wesley McAdams and Joy James.
About the plays
Kim Adams’ Jam Session tells the uplifting true story of touring black musicians during the Jim Crow era. Elizabeth Gordon blends historical and magical elements in The Fine Art of Extinction, about artist John James Audubon and the birds he painted. Alfreda Marshburn’s stirring monologue Even Me depicts the power of faith to change lives.
In the psychological thriller Paranoia, Joshua Drew delves into themes of emotional trauma, while Richard M. Trask entertains with his fishy romantic comedy, The Lake-Ness Monster. Patrick Raynor’s political satire Play On, POTUS! imagines the goings-on in a fictional White House inhabited by an arrogant, asinine leader.
Rose-Mary Harrington directs her own script The Wedding Dress, a play in verse in which a pair of Jewish women meet for the first time—at the platform on a train to Auschwitz concentration camp.
AUDITIONS for Ten-Minute Miscellany took place on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, January 13, 14, and 15 at the Hannah Block Community Arts Centers, 120 S. 2nd Street (corner of Orange), from 7-9pm each night. Actors of all ages and ethnicities are encouraged to read for this script-in-hand production. Email gopcpp@gmail.com for more information.
Fact or Fiction
(Spring 2019)
Stills from Fact or Fiction:
Resilience:
Three Plays About Women
(Spring 2018)
The cast was comprised of Allen Crowell Jackson, Brandy Lowry, Joshua Lowry, Carla Mahaffee, Heather Murray-Price, Jesslyn V. Wilson, and Joel Zuiker. The stage manager was Nicholas Newman, with lighting and set design by Scott Davis, costume design by Selina Harvey, sound design by Steve Vernon, and scenic art by Donna Troy.
REVIEWS
Encore described the “three terrific tales” as “memorable,” and summarized the show as “a powerful evening of theatre that explores the human experience from many different perspectives.” Full review here. According to the Star News, Neville’s play made “a forceful point about how traumatic events stay with us”; Gordon’s play provided a “thoughtful overview of the issues surrounding animal rights”; and Trask’s comedy conveyed its “theme of female empowerment while ending ‘Resilience’ on an upbeat note.” Full review here.
Right or Wrong? Part 2
(Fall 2017)
Right or Wrong? Part 1
(Spring 2017)
Scenes from Right or Wrong? (Part I):
Other staged readings:
Winners & Losers (2016)
Ages & Stages (2015)
Valentine’s Shorts (2014)
Common Place, Uncommon Encounters
PCPP’s fully mounted play, Common Place, Uncommon Encounters, had a successful run at the Cape Fear Playhouse in January 2017.
Six members of the Port City Playwrights Project contributed to Common Place, Uncommon Encounters, the group’s first fully staged production, which was performed at the Cape Fear Playhouse in January 2017. Taking place in a rest area off an expressway during the course of one day, the play offered a usually humorous look at the travelers who take advantage of the facilities and the grumpy custodian who frequently must clean up after them.
The playwrights include Susan M. Steadman (who also directed), Brad Field, Don Wood. Alex Neal, Charlotte Hackman and Jeremy Steadman.
Scenes from Common Place, Uncommon Encounters:
“The writers have risen to the challenge and tie together a variety of insights at one space in which, through their differences, they manage to make the show seem whole. That the character of Judson can weave so well into the piece is a tribute to the combined work of not only the writers but also Steadman’s direction and Vest’s work as a performer. The evening is really creative, and the cast rises to the occasion to form distinct characters with relatable attributes, as well as less-than-desirable familiarities.”
—an excerpt from Encore’s review of Common Place, Uncommon Encounters. Read the full review here.
Port City Playwrights 