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"Sin Eaters" is the first of eight plays that will be presented as part of Kent State University at Trumbull Theatre's 2026-27 Sips & Scripts season.
New works are presented in reader’s theater style -- actors are reading from scripts and performing without costumes and sets and usually without props -- and staged readings play an important role in the development of unproduced productions.
"They (the playwrights) can hear the words and hear them coming out of someone else's mouth in a way where they haven't been able to coach the actors and explain what they mean," Eric S. Kildow, associate professor of theater at Kent-Trumbull, said.
"We are the worst proofreaders of ourselves. I know what I mean; therefore my brain will just gloss over my own typos and stuff. It's the same concept. Is the meaning clear to someone who is just picking up the script and staging the play? That is really valuable to a writer (learning) is it actually in the script or is just kind of halfway in my head?"
This year's accepted plays include one local playwright, Farmdale native David L. Munnell, but Sips & Scripts has received submissions from as far away as California and predominantly draws from writers located between Buffalo and Chicago.
Kildow will direct the first work, "Sin Eaters" by Dale E. Seeds, a professor emeritus at College of Wooster.
"Sin Eaters" uses the Celtic folklore custom of a person consuming a special meal in the presence of the deceased in order to take on that person's sins so their soul can ascend to heaven and then juxtaposes it with those who work in social media content moderation.
"Some platforms were paying for some pretty substantial therapy and things of that nature for some of their content moderators because they were seeing just horrendous (stuff)," Kildow said.
"Functioning as the liver of America’s id is not exactly a recipe for sound mental health, and so that’s kind of what this play is about."
The cast features Nate Chapline, Jessica Ludovici, John Anthony D'Andrea, Emelia Sherin and Maria Ceraolo.
The rest of the 2026-27 season is:
• Oct. 7 -- "Cupcake with Blue Frosting" by Sam Hendrian, directed by Shiloh Hart
• Nov. 4 -- "Unearth" by Jeremy Gaydosh, directed Nate Chapline
• Dec. 2 -- "Zarah Bermann's American Dream" by David L. Munnell, directed by Jess Brumfield
• Jan. 6, 2027 -- "Strings Attached" by Jane Bond, directed Nate Chapline
• Feb. 3, 2027 -- "All the Chrysalides" by Hope Bolinger, directed Harmon Andrews
• March 3, 2027 -- "Church Girls" by Brandi Eaton, directed Brian Westerley
• April 7, 2027 -- "Ethical Consumption" by Nash Feiler, directed Brian Westerley
All staged readings start at 7:30 p.m. at Modern Methods Brewing Company, 125 David Grohl Alley, Warren. Admission is free, and seating is general admission.