THE SEVEN 2025 Wrap Up!
WHEN NOBODY’S WATCHING
THE SEVEN is one of the nation's premiere short works festivals. It features seven fully produced world premieres, utilizing seven different directors and a professional ensemble cast. The scripts are read by a jury of theatre professionals (blindly, without any identification of the playwright) and the seven highest scoring scripts will be produced. This year, the jury selected from scripts based on the theme: “When Nobody’s Warching.” The overall Jury Award-winner, Austin Steinmetz, was awarded the Bradford Gromelski Prize for his play “My Favorite Anthill”, and received transportation to/from and lodging at the festival. Each memorable performance was enjoyed by the playwrights and audiences alike. We look forward to this theatrical event every year and we can’t wait to do it again!
Let’s once again celebrate the winners of this year’s THE SEVEN: WHEN NOBODY’S WATCHING!
THE SEVEN WINNERS
THE BRADFORD GROMELSKI JURY AWARD WINNER
MY FAVORITE ANTHILL by Austin Steinmetz, El Cajon, CA
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD WINNER
SUNDAY IN THE BAGEL SHOP WITH SAM AND DAVE by Mike Bencivenga, Astoria, NY
*****
GOOD ROMANS by Baylee Shlichtman, Santa Ana, CA
SECOND CHANCE by Olivia D. Dawson, Decatur, GA
WAITING by JD Otsuka, Albuquerque, NM
GO FISH by Marilyn Zerlak, Farmington Hills, MI
SEX, LIES AND STYROFOAM by Arianna Rose, Delray Beach, FL
The Company of THE SEVEN 2025:
Paul Blott, Olivia D. Dawson, Dennis Gromelski, Jacqueline Reid, Vicki Singer, David Sinkus, Laurie Thomas
&
Zane Barker, Mike Bencivenga, Braxton Butler, Ryan Jason Cook, Stafford Douglas, Paul Ford, Caroline Toby Graham, Alissa Hall, Matt Heath, Johnny Hoeft, Richard Hogle, Leah Livingston, Miguel Martinez, Doug Montoya, JD Otsuka, Robyn Phillips, Elizabeth Richert, Arianna Rose, Tobias Morrison Sanchez, Wendy Scott, Baylee Shlichtman, Robb Sisneros, Austin Steinmetz, Douglas Stewart, Dachary Vann, Rachel Wiseman, Aaron Worley, Marilyn Zerlak, and Daniel Zuniga.
THE 2nd SEVEN WINNERS
STEPHEN HAWKING'S TRAIN by Mike Byham, Southlake, TX
ARE THEY WATCHING? by Bill Rogers, San Diego, CA
THE PROGRAM by Andrea Fleck Clardy, Jamaica Plain, MA
DOTDOTDOT by Raul Garza, Albuquerque, NM
PATRIOT POINTS by Joe Galliani, Redondo Beach, CA
WAR & CHEESE by Ryan Clarke, Albuquerque, NM
SIGNS by Liisa Rose, Tucson, AZ
THE COMPANY OF THE 2ND SEVEN
Eliseo Aragon, Zane Barker, Mikie Beatty, Alexis Berent, Braxton Butler, Marc Comstock, Michael Counts, Colleen Davidson, Dennis Gromelski, Alissa Hall, William Adam Harrison, Matt Heath, Johnny Hoeft, Alex Knight, Versai Knight, Angela Littleton, Leah Livingston, Gerome Olona, Jessica Osbourne, Elizabeth Richert, Russell R. Rietmann, Douglas Stewart, Laurie Thomas, Morgan Tracy, Rachel Wiseman, Aaron Worley, and Daniel Zuniga.
THE NM SEVEN WINNERS
WHEN NOBODY'S WATCHING by Peter Schuyler, Albuquerque
SAUCY JACK by Clint Newman, Albuquerque
SHOW TRASH by Elizabeth Maher, Albuquerque
NETWORK FOLLIES by George Bereschik, Santa Fe
ACCORDION IN THE ATTIC by Casey Mraz, Albuquerque
CRY AFTER MIDNIGHT by Talia Pura, Santa Fe
AN ACTOR PREPARES by James Cady, Rio Rancho
THE COMPANY OF THE NM SEVEN
Lena Armstrong, Nick Barker, Zane Barker, Nelia Bryant, Braxton Butler, Tiffany Cole, Michael Counts, Colleen Davidson, Jane deLaubenfels, Ashley Deleona, Diana Delgado, Jeff Dolecek, Aleida Dracup, Dennis Gromelski, Gurudarshan, Steven Higgins, Sergiu Iva, Herman Johansen, Catherine Jones, Jordan Kropka, Angela Littleton, Leah Livingston, Wolfram Maikranz, Patti Neff-Tiven, Jessica Osbourne, Douglas Stewart, Amy Suman, Allie Sundstrom, Ainara Vecchia, and Rachel Wiseman.
THANK YOU!
Thank you to all the playwrights who came to FUSION to view their plays professionally produced and support all the other winners of THE SEVEN 2025!
PRODUCTION IMAGES
Special Thanks to the Theme Suggestion Winner: Marlene Brown of Albuquerque
Marlene Brown teaches Photovoltaics (Solar Electricity or PV) at Central New Mexico Community College. She currently has the only accredited PV program in New Mexico. She retired from a multifaceted career at Sandia National Labs. She engaged and facilitated high level strategic planning, problem solving along with System Engineering activities. She has worked evaluating of systems and components and as a Quality Engineer in a Subsystem and Components group. She also worked in a On-Orbit Satellite Analysis Group working with satellite sensors and detectors. Her first job at Sandia was in the Photovoltaics Systems Group where she worked with all levels of systems applications in the field and in the lab. Marlene has worked with photovoltaic applications for over 25 years.
Marlene has a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico. She also has a 2nd Engineering Master’s degree in Systems Engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology where she graduated in May 2014.
She is past President of the New Mexico Solar Energy Association http://www.nmsea.org where she served for 4 years and remains on the advisory board. She has taught photovoltaic hands-on design and installation classes for 25 years or so, installing systems on non-profit and community based organizations. Marlene also has co-taught many PV hands-on classes for both men and women. She teaches classes through non-profit organizations, and occasionally for local colleges and community colleges. Read More…