The University of Central Florida’s School of Performing Arts will host its annual festival dedicated to developing new plays, Pegasus PlayLab, May 29–June 14 at UCF’s main campus.
Held every summer since 2018 at UCF, the festival serves as a launchpad for new plays by emerging talent.
This year, Pegasus PlayLab will bring stories to life through two campus workshops and a premier developmental production in UCF’s Black Box Theatre. Additionally, a devised project will unite participants with and without disabilities to create an original theatrical piece.
The Lineup:
Offshoot
Offshoot, the first workshop production, opens the event May 29–30 in UCF’s Studio 1.
Written by Drew Paryzer and directed by Rina Gjoka, Offshoot is a play about what human-to-human connection might look like in a near-future world saturated with optimized AI relationships.
Synopsis:
In a dusty, abandoned classroom, a Teacher strives to connect with his new Pupil — a brilliant yet troubled seventeen-year-old who spends most of his time with his AI companion Paul, and the various “offshoot” entities Paul creates. Teacher and Pupil’s struggle to see each other as part of the same world leads to revelation, betrayal, and the painful possibilities of new ways of living…which is brought into deeper, more complex focus with the appearance of another Student. Offshoot is a sci-fi tinged psychological drama about what happens when people dare to be inconvenient to one another.
The play will rehearse for two weeks prior to opening on May 29, which allows for the playwright to make revisions, hear new pages out loud, and focus on developing the play.
Paryzer said he is excited to have two weeks of development to understand how the play works in time and space.
“To this point, it’s lived entirely in my head and on the page,” Paryzer explained. “And it’s such a gift to have UCF’s support in bringing this piece (literally) to life!”
Seeking to highlight the “interpersonal entanglements” of the digital age, Paryzer intentionally kept his stage tech-free. He aims to show how technology and AI reshape our relationships and internal lives even when we are offline. Ultimately, Paryzer presents the play as a cautionary look at one potential future — one he insists we still have the “agency” to change.
Each performance of Offshoot will be followed by a talkback with the audience.
Eight-Hand Jig
Eight-Hand Jig, the second workshop production, follows Offshoot in Studio 1 from June 5–6.
Written by MC Crosby and directed by David Sterritt, the play examines the nature of women’s rights through the quirky lens of dance and the misfit O’Malley family.
Synopsis:
Imagine square dancing, but much better. That is an Irish Céilí (pronounced kaylee), a folk art in which an emcee calls out the names of dances and the crowd performs the partner work arm-in-arm, and solo moves in circles and sways. Within this framework of many Irish dances, including the titular Eight-Hand Jig, we learn the history of the O’Malley family, both in Chicago 2036, and in Dublin 1701. The play switches swiftly from movement to dialogue, and each physical number moves the plot forward as we see past and future collide. Mel O’Malley has three B-eautiful children: Brigid, Bree, and enby Brenda. Of Irish heritage, Mel is constantly straddling the worlds between the motherland and her daughters’ childhood home in the U.S. When all four family members gather for Bree’s baby shower in 2036, a heartbreaking secret is revealed. The family’s experiences parallel that of their Irish ancestors, accused of witchcraft. These O’Malley women, separated by generations, have been subject to the same pain and injustices of womanhood.
Crosby noted that the project is deeply personal, rooted in her Irish heritage and her own journey with bodily autonomy. “I am eager to gain new perspectives from my fellow collaborators,” she said, “as we work together to inspire artists and audiences to honor women and womb-bearers.”
Crosby expressed deep gratitude for the collaboration of the UCF actors, directors, stage managers, and production team. Pointing to Director David Sterritt’s expertise in movement, she added, “I am thrilled at the prospect of Pegasus PlayLab breathing physicality into my words.”
Each performance of Eight-Hand Jig will be followed by a talkback with the audience.
Between Shadows and Lightness
The final workshop production, Between Shadows and Lightness, will occupy Studio 1 June 12–June 13.
Directed by Sage Tokach and Ralph Krumins, this devised project unites artists across the ability spectrum to co-create a theatrical exploration of mental health. The performance breathes life into personal narratives and is visually rooted in sculptures and collages created by visual artists with and without disabilities.
“Between Shadows and Lightness will be our fourth iteration of the devised piece at Pegasus PlayLab,” Tokach said. “This project began as a chance to welcome new community members into the festival, explore new forms of storytelling, and bring together Theatre UCF students and performers with disabilities to learn from each other.”
According to Krumins, the beauty of the devising process lies in its unknown destination. By bringing diverse artists into a shared space to improvise and reflect, the team crafts a production from the ground up.
“The best part is the opportunity to play with so many familiar and new artists in moments of spontaneous creation,” Krumins noted.
This production is the pair’s third joint project for Pegasus PlayLab. Krumins describes the partnership with Sage as “magical,” noting that while they share a vision, they bring different “attacks” to the work.
Using the process as a springboard, Tokach looks toward the future: “We hope this starting point will lead to fruitful explorations of our inner worlds through music, movement, visual art, and eventually a script.”
Each performance of Between Shadows and Lightness will be followed by a talkback with the audience.
Raccoon Play
The festival concludes June 11–14 with Raccoon Play, a full developmental production at the UCF Black Box Theatre.
Written by SMJ and directed by Nick Bazo, Raccoon Play is a satire examining how conspiracy theories threaten to destroy small town America.
Synopsis:
On Election Night, the six young Millennials who make up the Danville, OH Lions Club eagerly await the results. However, the inner drama within the group, a missing member, a conspiracy theory about a school shooting not too far away, and the lack of resources for the 79th Annual Raccoon Dinner threaten to ruin more than just the positive vibe. Meanwhile, President Sly Cooper, a literal Raccoon, addresses the Danville, OH Raccoon Club after declaring martial law due to dubious election results. Facing an insurrection and a mole in their camp, Sly and her minions must find a way to bring their population to heel.
The play, which has been in development for four years, has only been seen or read in public twice.
SMJ said they began writing Raccoon Play as a dare from their actor friends, who were doing readings of another play of theirs, where the “Raccoon Dinner” appeared as a recurring bit.
The “Raccoon Dinner” primarily refers to several long-standing community fundraisers in the United States, where roasted raccoon meat is served as the main course. These events have become major cultural and political touchstones.
“What started as an exploration of a niche community event became a tangled web of local politics, national paranoia, fractured friendships, and my dad’s descent into conspiracy theories right before his death,” SMJ said.
According to SMJ, the play explores how conspiracies affect and corrupt lifelong relationships.
“I hope that Raccoon Play starts conversations about all the shades of gray in U.S. politics,” SMJ remarked, “and serves as a warning for what’s bubbling underneath the surface of our tensions.”
SMJ stated the work that is happening at Pegasus PlayLab is essential, as without actors and a team in a room to workshop with, necessary rewrites to a play cannot be made.
“Without knowing how a play impacts a live audience, you don’t know if the play works,” SMJ explained. “New work can’t grow without opportunities like this.”
Talkbacks with the audience will follow the performances June 11–June 12.