By Ally Heatherly

B Street Theatre announced its new season of theatrical productions, during a special event Aug. 27 held at The Sofia in Sacramento. The winner of B Street’s New Comedies Festival, Tate Hanyok’s “Dog Mom,” will close out the 2024-25 season.

The annual New Comedies Festival was hosted by B Street in July and showcased new, unproduced comedic plays performed in staged readings, culminating in an audience vote for which play should be given a full production. The event includes talkbacks where audiences engage with the playwrights, directors and actors.

“The importance of new works stems from the use of the word ‘playwriting.’ It is our belief that achieving our mission involves engaging both artists and audiences in the development and production of new plays,” CEO Lyndsay Burch said. “The development of new work is essential to the growth and longevity of the theater arts. Theatre has always been and always will be an art form that holds up a mirror to society, and new works do just that. They uniquely capture the current moment’s joys, challenges, and questions. They become the next generation’s classics.” 

“Dog Mom” tells the story of Liz, a newly divorced woman who finds a stray dog while moving into her new apartment. Although the dog is not a welcome addition to Liz’s new life, she decides to foster it temporarily, leading to a begrudging friendship. 

Hanyok, now a screenwriter in Los Angeles, has a long history with B Street as a company member. As “Dog Mom” explores themes of community and belonging in an increasingly isolated world, Hanyok reflected on why she was drawn to submit to the New Comedies Festival. 

“I was thinking about the themes in which I write from — found family and community empowering communities — and it’s because of this place [B Street],” Hanyok said. “There are things that I have done in my life that I am proud of, but I am most excited and most proud of this and getting to share it with this community.”

While Hanyok is a core company member of B Street, the New Comedies Festival selection process is rigorous. Playwright names are omitted during the reading process to avoid bias as B Street’s artistic staff and dozens of volunteer readers contribute to the selection process.

 “The whole process is so special. To see the reading in the beginning, see the feedback, and then to see how people respond is just amazing,” longtime B Street subscriber Becky Norris said. “And to see the shows in full production is just so exciting. You feel like you’re part of it.”

 “The Newlywed Game” won over audiences last year. “I felt supported as an artist and as a human coming in from out of town. Collaborating with B Street’s acting company was such a gift,” 2023 NCF winner Alyssa Haddad-Chin said. “I do a lot of these types of readings, but ones that have this sense of community are rare.”

In addition to “Dog Mom,” the season will also feature another festival finalist: “Advice” by Brent Askari.This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics and protocols, the city had no editorial influence over this story and no city official reviewed this story before it was published. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19.