Studio BFT Shows
Studio BFT shows are chosen for being a true minimalistic black box theater experience. They have shorter runs than that of a mainstage and are produced by Birmingham Festival Theatre. They honor our roots of being the first black box theater in the state of Alabama.
Join us for Season 52 at Birmingham Festival Theatre, where laughter meets timeless storytelling in a delightful array of funny and classic productions. This season, we bring you beloved comedies and twists on iconic classics that promise to entertain and inspire. From the hilarious antics of wit-filled misadventures to the poignant moments that have stood the test of time, our lineup is designed to captivate audiences of all ages. Don't miss your chance to experience the magic of live theater as we celebrate the joy of performance. Get ready for a season filled with laughter, nostalgia, and unforgettable memories!
A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screen Play About the Death of Walt Disney by Lucas Hnath
February 7-16, 2025
Tonight, Walt is going to read you a screenplay he wrote. It’s about his last days on earth. It’s about a city he’s going to build that’s going to change the world. And it’s about his brother. It’s about everyone who loves him so much, and it’s about how sad they’re going to be when he’s gone. Right? I mean, how can they live without him? How can anyone live without him?
“…a blackly comic inversion of the public Disney persona, in the form of a stylized screenplay being read in an anonymous-looking corporate conference room…Walt would be doing cartoonish gyrations in his grave if he were to see how thoroughly Mr. Hnath (pronounced nayth) has subverted the popular image of Disney.” —The New York Times.
“Minutes into the darkly humorous play it’s clear that for the famous man who made Mickey Mouse, movies and the Magic Kingdom, everything was about him. Always. Especially during his last days on earth."—New York Daily News.
“…a devastating portrait of a man for whom make-believe was more real than reality itself.” —New York Post.
“A blood-pumping and often hilarious evening of theater.” —TheaterMania.
“Enjoyably weird and hermetic…Nothing that ever came out of the Magic Kingdom was ever this animated.” —Time Out New York.
American Moor
July 11-20, 2025
A seasoned African-American actor auditioning for the role of William Shakespeare’s iconic Black hero Othello must respond to the dictates of a younger white director who presumes to understand how to maximize the Black character for believability. What could possibly go wrong? A poetic exploration of Shakespeare, race, and America, not necessarily in that order.
“…some plays…take the idea of ‘necessary’ to a deeper level. …AMERICAN MOOR is one such play…a blisteringly eloquent and penetrating meditation on the ever-urgent matter of race in America—though ‘meditation’ seems far too tame a word for the dramatic force Cobb brings to the subject…” —Boston Globe
“Cobb’s earnest, reasoned script slashes so precisely that you may not see Shakespeare—and a lot of roles played by Black performers—quite the same way for a while.” —Washington Post
Tickets are available now to all of our members.
24 hour Play Festival
TBD
Birmingham Festival Theatre is hosting its fourth 24 hour Play Festival! In November, a group of participants will meet and and divide roles and crew. Once divided into those teams, the clock begins. Playwrights will have a maximum of 12 hours to produce a short play, and the rest of the team have a maximum of 12 hours to get the show on its feet. The final product will be performed in front of an audience at 7:30 pm. Then, a performance of Whitney Hamilton’s, Dodging Tornados will follow.