Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation have announced the works which will be featured as part of the 2024 First Light Festival. Presented by the collaborating organizations are part of their EST/Sloan Project for developing new plays about science and technology, the festival runs April 25-June 13 with free presentations held at Ensemble Studio Theatre.

The festival features six public readings and two closed readings for internal development. The free 3 PM public reading line-up is as follows: Jacob Marx Rice's Binding Energy April 25, Jacquelyn Reingold's Orva and Nadine May 16, Melisa Tien's Disrupted May 23, Sandra A. Daley-Sharif's Amma's Wit June 6, Karina Billini's Apple Bottom June 13, and Meghan Endres Brown's Bigfoot June 17.

Private development readings will also be held for Allyson Morgan's Teenage Huntress and Frozen: The Egg Freezing Musical, written by Zhu Yi and composed by Yoonmi Lee.

The EST/Sloan Project began in 1998 to challenge and broaden how modern audiences view science. Mary Elizabeth Hamilton’s Smart, which was originally commissioned and developed through the program, made its world premiere at Ensemble Theatre last year.

Visit EnsembleStudioTheatre.org.