“A gathering point for theater professionals and critics to take the temperature of the American theater.”
St. Paul Pioneer Press, April, 2008

“Where do you go for the very best, and the very newest in American playwriting?
 Try Kentucky. This state may know horses, but it also stakes a claim to the stage.”

Culture+Travel, March/April, 2008



poster design by Julien Pacaud
“The crossroads of the American theater.”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April, 2008
33rd annual
HUMANA FESTIVAL
OF NEW AMERICAN PLAYS
MARCH 1 - APRIL 11, 2009
Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival of New American Plays is an annual site of pilgrimage where theatre lovers from around the world converge to get the first look at the future of the American theatre. Over 350 plays have been produced in the internationally acclaimed Humana Festival, representing the work of over 200 playwrights.
See Below for 2009 Lineup

Festival Tickets at a Glance

Full Performance Calendar

Festival Events

Made possible by a generous grant from


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Inside the Humana Festival Podcast


Take a closer look...
Click on photos for more about each play
Ameriville
by UNIVERSES
(Gamal Abdel Chasten,
Mildred Ruiz,
William Ruiz aka Ninja
and Steven Sapp)

directed by Chay Yew

March 1 - April 5
Slasher
by Allison Moore

directed by Josh Hecht

March 6 - April 5
Absalom
by Zoe Kazan

directed by Giovanna Sardelli

March 10 - April 11
The Hard Weather Boating Party
by Naomi Wallace

directed by Jo Bonney

March 14 - April 4
Under Construction
by Charles L. Mee

directed by Anne Bogart
created and performed by
SITI Company

March 17 - April 5
Wild Blessings:
A Celebration
of Wendell Berry

adapted for the stage
by Marc Masterson
and Adrien-Alice Hansel
from the writing of Wendell Berry

directed by Marc Masterson

part of the Brown-Forman Mainstage Series

March 26 - April 26

BRINK!

by Lydia Diamond, Kristoffer Diaz, Greg Kotis, Deborah Zoe Laufer, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb and Deborah Stein

directed by Sean Daniels

performed by the 2008-2009 Actors Theatre Acting Apprentice Company
commissioned by Actors Theatre of Louisville

March 20, 27 & 29 and April 3 & 5

Lydia Diamond

Kristoffer Diaz

Greg Kotis

Deborah Zoe Laufer

Peter Sinn Nachtrieb

Deborah Stein