HOUSTON: Alley Theatre has announced the lineup for the 2017 Alley All New Festival, which will take place Feb. 2-12, 2017. The festival will feature readings and workshop performances of five new plays by Robert Askins, Bekah Brunstetter, Christina Gorman, Rajiv Joseph, and Kenneth Lin. The festival gives playwrights the opportunity to work with a director and a company of actors to develop the play, while also offering audiences a firsthand look into the play development process.

The festival will feature readings from the following five plays:

• The Carpenter by Robert Askins, about a Texas couple’s journey to the altar. James Black will direct.
• Roan @ The Gates by Christina Gorman, about a long-time couple’s personal relationship colliding with issues of national security. Brandon Weinbrenner will direct.
• The Cake by Bekah Brunstetter, about a gay couple that runs into issues with a local baker when trying to procure a cake for their wedding in North Carolina.
• Describe the Night by Rajiv Joseph, about the life of the writer Isaac Babel. Giovanna Sardelli will direct.
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Kenneth Lin, a reworking of Twain’s novel focusing on the relationship between Huck and his father Pap. Artistic director Gregory Boyd will direct.

In addition to these presentations, NSangou Njikam’s Syncing Ink will have its world premiere as part of the festival. The hip-hop theatre piece, which was featured in the 2016 festival, follows high school student Gordon and his journey to learn how to rhyme.