Essential Theatre Play Festival has encouraged the stages of playwriting for 25 years

ARTS ATL: New play development can come in many shapes and forms, and a play will go through numerous stages before the final draft. The variety offered by the Essential Theatre Play Festival gives audiences a chance to see plays at differing stages of development, from brand-new plays written within the last few weeks to polished, full-scale productions with nearly a decade of development behind them. Celebrating its silver anniversary this year, the Essential Theatre Play Festival will be produced at 7Stages Theatre August 9 to September 1, hosting two world premieres alongside a number of staged readings and presentations.