Making History contest Staged Readings, coming to Phoenix Cultural Center June 20-21

Southbank is thrilled to announce an exciting lineup of three staged readings this summer as part of our Making History contest, offering audiences a rare behind-the-scenes look at new works in development. This series gives patrons a chance to give feedback and vote for their favorite works.

Each reading will showcase a new play, presented by local actors and directors. One of the three plays will be selected for a full production as the final show of Southbank’s Season 5 in April 2026.

Reading Series Schedule:

• Hell’s Belle by Amalia Howard, directed by Doug Powers
  Friday, June 20, 7:30 pm
  • The unbelievably true tale of Indiana’s first serial killer: Belle Gunness killed more than two dozen men as well as a handful of women and children at the turn of the twentieth century. But did she get away with it? Her story is as ridiculous as it is captivating. Join the infamous black widow of LaPorte, Indiana, her sister Nellie, and the men she loved and killed along the way in this wild ride of a true crime dark comedy.
• The Last Days of the Franklinton Historical Village and Shoppe by Ron Burch, directed by Rachel Serago
  Saturday, June 21, 2:30 pm
  The Last Days of the Franklinton Historical Village and Shoppe is a comedy that focuses on the workers of an historical-recreation village whose benefactor dies. In order to keep the place running, the workers are asked to turn history into more contemporary entertainment. Set in Henry County, Indiana.
• Reception
  Saturday, June 21, 5:00 pm
  • Light hors d’oeuvres provided
• The Brain Thief by Tom Horan, directed by Carrie Schlatter
  Saturday, June 21, 7:30 pm
  • The Brain Thief is (very) loosely based on a real event that happened in Indianapolis in 2013: A young man broke into a medical museum and stole brains to sell on eBay. The Brain Thief explores brains, bodies, and what it means to connect to someone else.

“We’re inviting our audience to be part of the artistic process,” said Marcia Eppich-Harris, Artistic Director of Southbank. “These readings are a space for experimentation and discovery. By the end of the series, we’ll choose one script to bring fully to life with costumes, sets, lights, and sound, based on both artistic merit and community response.”

The selected play will receive a full production in April 2026, rounding out Southbank’s fifth season with a world premiere developed from the ground up.

All readings will take place at the Phoenix Cultural Center. Admission is free. Audience members will have an opportunity to offer feedback following each performance.