THE SEVEN 2026 Wrap Up!
THE HEART OF THE MATTER
THE SEVEN is one of the nation's premier 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: “The Heart of the Matter.” The overall Jury Award winner, Mary Donnet, was awarded the Bradford Gromelski Prize for her play “The Sound of Light,” 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: The Heart of the Matter!
THE SEVEN WINNERS
The Bradford Gromelski Jury Award Winner
AND The Audience Choice Award Winner
THE SOUND OF LIGHT by Mary Donnet Johnson, Knoxville, TN
*****
THE FORCE OF ATTRACTION by Ron Davies, Ottawa, Canada
THE HAIL MARY by Laurie Thomas, Albuquerque, NM
THE JULY EFFECT by Andrea Trotenberg, Highland Park, IL
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT HANG THAT MISTLETOE TONIGHT! by Mike Byham, Southlake, TX
THE DARK CLOUD: A FABLE by James W. Perry, Manteca, CA
ALL ROADS LEAD TO PROSPECT PARK by Dan Perry, Los Angeles, CA
The Company of THE SEVEN 2026:
Wendy Barker, Zane Barker, Avery Barley, Alexis Berent, Aaron Black, Paul Blott, Imani Caldwell, Tom Clark, Ryan Jason Cook, Richard Hogle, Bruce Holmes, Nancy Jeris, Versai Knight, Catherine Kolos, Anya Lacy, Gil Lazier, Leah Livingston, Christy Lopez, Miguel Martinez, Gerome Olona, Natalie Peavy, Robyn Phillips, Jacqueline Reid, Becky Richert, Mónica Sánchez, Celia Schaefer, Wendy Scott, Levi Shrader, David Sinkus, Robb Anthony Sisneros, Brent Stevens, Douglas Stewart, Ria Suarez, Laurie Thomas, Morgan Tracy, Dachary Vann, Rachel Wiseman, Aaron Worley, Daniel Zuniga.
THE 2nd SEVEN WINNERS
VISITING MASHA by Donald Ray Schwartz, Baltimore, MD
SOFTSOAP & HARD WATER by Logan Cutler Smith, Cleveland, OH
HOT, FULL-BODIED FINISH. by Paula Williamson, Richmond, CA
LYDGATE IN LOVE by Deborah Savadge, New York, NY
ONE MILLION by Vilém Dubnička, Pilsen, Czech Republic
LAURA WINGFIELD WALKS INTO A BAR by Kristen Field, Kalamazoo, MI
THE TIES THAT BIND by Nancy Temple, Needham, MA
THE COMPANY OF THE 2ND SEVEN
Lena Armstrong, Nelia Bryant, Jim Cady, Imani Caldwell, Tiffany Cole, Michael Counts, Elora Daniels, Ashley Deleona, Jeff Dolecek, Dennis Gromelski, William Adam Harrison, Matt Heath, Sergiu Iva, Herman Johansen, Angela Littleton, Leah Livingston, Christy Lopez, Lucinda Nichols, Elizabeth Richert, Alexis Scott, Gary Shaw, Harrison Sim, David Sinkus, Ian RQ Slater, William Stafford, Laurie Thomas, Kathy Wimmer, Rachel Wiseman.
THE NM SEVEN WINNERS
MEMORIES by Peter Schuyler, Albuquerque, NM
TO BE by Scott Harrison, Santa Fe, NM
SATELLITE by William Reynolds, Albuquerque, NM
CORPUS by Owen Conway, Albuquerque, NM
LEGACY by Karin Diann Williams, Albuquerque, NM
WHAT I MEANT WAS by Ryan Clarke, Albuquerque, NM
THE APPOINTMENT by Talia Pura, Santa Fe, NM
THE COMPANY OF THE NM SEVEN
Jeanette Aguilar, Beth Bailey, Nick Barker, Paul Blott, Imani Caldwell, Ryan Jason Cook, Colleen Davidson, David Gibson, Dennis Gromelski, Josh Heard, Juli Hendren, Johnny Hoeft, Lauren Letherer, Leah Livingston, Miguel Martinez, Kathy Millé-Wimmer, Patti Neff-Tiven, Elizabeth Richert, Mónica Sánchez, Wendy Scott, Amy Suman, Allie Sundstrom, Laurie Thomas, Jacqueline Torres, 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 our 20th Anniversary of THE SEVEN 2026!
PRODUCTION IMAGES
Special Thanks to the Theme Suggestion Winner: Laurie Thomas
Your votes selected a theme submitted by FUSION's own, Laurie Thomas! She submitted "The Heart of the Matter"!
LAURIE THOMAS is co-founder and co-artistic chair of FUSION. She is a director, actor, educator, and writer. Her professional credits for acting and directing include work at Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, Theater Rhinoceros, Alice B. Theatre, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Samuel French Off Off Broadway Festival, Northwest Asian American Theatre, On the Boards, A Contemporary Theatre, Southwest Repertory Theatre, The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival, Berkeley Stage Company, The Empty Space, and Bay Area Playwrights Festival.
Her most recent work at FUSION includes directing ONE FLEA SPARE and NATIVE GARDENS; playing “Hazel” in THE CHILDREN and “Mom” in TRUE WEST; and conceiving & directing not LOST but FOUND in TRANSLATION for the Albuquerque Museum.