2025 Writers Search Finalists
PLAY RUNNER-UP
BRAZIL REMANI The Cost of Justice
The Cost of Justice follows the Martin family as they grieve, fight for justice, and memorialize the life of their loved one, Atiena. Each family member seeks to honor Atiena’s life in their own contrasting ways taking paths that leads to life-altering consequences. The play delves into the emotional and financial costs of justice, revealing the lengths they are willing to go to achieve their goals. At its core, The Cost of Justice sings a song we all know: family is complicated—and even more so when faced with the weight of grief.
Brazil Remani (she/her) is a proud Southern playwright whose work centers the richness, resilience, and complexity of modern life in the Deep South. Dramaturgical credits include Unfinished Women at Vanderbilt University. She is the 2025 Barbara Molette Scholar with Working Title Playwrights. Her ten-minute play, Eddie’s Special, was showcased at the 2025 Essential Theatre Festival in August 2025 and her ten-minute play, Signing Day, was featured in Essential Theatre’s 2026 Bake-Off.
Visit Brazil's website HERE, or connect Instagram.
SCREENPLAY RUNNER-UP
WILLIAM L. WALKER MONTGOMERIE “FLYDERS! — EIGHT LEGS, TWO WINGS, NO MERCY”
When a top-secret military experiment goes haywire, unleashing flying, venomous, and unexpectedly strategic mutant spiders on a sleepy Montana mountain town, a rugged park ranger, a wild-eyed entomologist, a battle-hardened troop of Mountain Scouts, and a stoner with a pet flyder must join forces to save humanity—armed only with bear spray, glitter bombs, and whatever’s left in the church bake sale.
William L. Walker Montgomerie is a Texas-based playwright whose work explores history, identity, and community through deeply human stories. Inspired by global storytelling traditions, theatrical minimalism, and ensemble work, he crafts plays that honor both the ordinary and extraordinary. His artistic vision celebrates memory, resilience, and connection, giving voice to those who shape us, acknowledging the ghosts that haunt us, and finding beauty in rebuilding, belonging, and the human experience.
SHORT/WEB SERIES RUNNER-UP
DALTON CHASE CRAWFORD Scotty-Man
When a top-secret military experiment goes haywire, unleashing flying, venomous, and unexpectedly strategic mutant spiders on a sleepy Montana mountain town, a rugged park ranger, a wild-eyed entomologist, a battle-hardened troop of Mountain Scouts, and a stoner with a pet flyder must join forces to save humanity—armed only with bear spray, glitter bombs, and whatever’s left in the church bake sale.
Dalton has always been a storyteller. Whether as an actor, director, or writer, he’s always been fueled by a passion to connect with his audience. Above all, Dalton understands feelings are what make a character, and he looks at the world much the same way. Dalton identifies as a Bisexual man, which he credits his Scottish heritage for giving him the strength and acceptance to embrace who he is.
Visit Dalton's website HERE, or connect on Instagram or Facebook.
PLAY FINALISTS
FEMMAEVE MacQUEEN-ROSE Eyebright
Eyebright explores the lives of transgender people as they navigate incarceration, addiction, suicide, psychiatric care, and toxic masculinity. Within these institutional confines, ephemeral moments of intimate joy emerge as the characters discover that community is not only something to be desired, it is a matter of survival. While Ruby, Imogen, Deja, KJ, and Mario succeed at crafting relationships, their failures serve as a stark reminder of our daily divisions, the privileges of quotidian life, and what is truly at stake in a world ripe with alienation: our shared humanity and the death of emancipatory imagining.
Femmaeve is an Atlanta-based actor and writer dedicated to audacious transgender visibility on stage and screen. Her playwriting credits include staged oral history projects, devised theater, an epic pageant for queer community, and explorations on interruptive theater. Femm holds advanced degrees in queer performance studies and American studies. A recent FADlab ATL fellow, Femm debuted a workshop of her new performance poem, Still Life With Roses in December 2025.
Connect with Femm through Instagram.
DREW REYNOLDS Rut
When Mary returns to Arkansas for a funeral, it awakens old wounds — and the ghost of her autistic brother, Buck — as ideologies clash in her brother Deke’s household. Buck uses his communication with his neurodivergent niece, Birdie, to guide her as she turns to ceramics to cope with bullying, while Mary and Deke struggle in the wake of their mother’s death. This stage-play explores concepts of Southern shame, queerness, neurodiversity, and gun violence through the lens of a rural Arkansan family struggling with death and grief, both new and old.
Drew Reynolds (he/she/they) is an Arkansan theatre professional who has worked as a playwright, actor, director, teacher, and stage manager in the Arkansas theatre scene. A graduating Creative Writing major at the University of Central Arkansas, Drew has published poems in national collections, and scripts and short stories in the Vortex Literary Magazine, where they work as the Associate Editor. Their portfolio focuses on Arkansan experiences, neurodiversity empowerment, and exploratory, empathy-driven queer adaptations.
Connect with Drew on Facebook.
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KAYLON WILLOUGHBY I Was a Teenage Frog-Boy
Sometimes siblings grow apart. This is true for the Franklin twins, who have become not-so-identical since Trixie transitioned. She prefers to spend time in her laboratory, while her brother Dexter thrives as a football star — until an accident costs him his life. Fortunately, Trixie has just discovered the secret to life itself! One fresh body and some frog DNA later, and Dexter’s good as new. Except one problem: the new body is female, and the frog DNA is slowly turning him into an amphibious monster. A story about family, changes, and finding yourself in a body that doesn’t feel like you.
Kaylon Willoughby is beyond honored to now be a three-time Del Shores Foundation finalist. An actor/playwright from south Louisiana, they have made their career in educational and classical theatre. Most recently, their solo piece Water in a Cardboard Box was performed in Amsterdam as part of Orange Theatre Company’s Tiny Theatre – Monologues Live!. When not writing, they work as a theatre educator and are a frequent collaborator of the Louisiana Shakespeare Company.
Connect with Kaylon's Website, New Play Exchange, or Instagram.
SCREENPLAY FINALISTS
J.B. Dunn Zero Flux
Tyler Fenwick, a brilliant physicist, comes home to small-town Arizona after his PhD to finish his anti-gravity project, Zero Flux, in his family hangar. Home isn’t simple: Diane, his mom, is drinking after his dad’s death; Ethan, the ex he ghosted, isn’t over it; Olivia’s doing her best to keep the peace. When Helios, a defense contractor, sends agents Lena Smith and Michael Chen—with AI spider drones—to grab the tech, Tyler teams with Glitter Divine and The Fabs (ex-military drag queens), plus mentor Professor Alistar and fixer Leon Minsk, to rescue Olivia, save Zero Flux, and earn a second chance.
J.B. Dunn is a professor with roots in math, physics, and business, and he's always kept one foot in the creative world. Alongside teaching, he's logged indie film time and helped students sharpen camera work, acting, and visual storytelling. He writes sci-fi and fantasy that marry grounded science with big ideas and heart—identity, legacy, dogma, flawed fathers, and how belief or tech push people to their limits—always character first.
ELISE EDENS & ALEXANDER RICHARDSON Lesbian of Honor
A hopeful couple adds match making two reluctant friends to their wedding plans.
Elise Edens is a former 11 year old hoop shoot champion, and independent filmmaker from Moline, IL living in Atlanta where she works as a video editor in local news. Having known she wanted to be a filmmaker since she was 12, she has participated in many film projects over the last 10 years. Elise strives to highlight sapphic stories in her filmmaking, and help normalize queer experiences. Connect with Elise on Instagram.
Alexander Richardson is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist who has been lucky enough to work on countless productions with so many amazing artists. He's been writing plays for over a decade and is thrilled beyond words to be getting into screenwriting. Alex founded a hybrid theatre troupe, Barely There Theatre, which has been producing plays for the stage and radio since 2021. You can tune in for free on most platforms where podcasts are available, or at www.barelytheretheatre.com. Find him on Instagram.
KEVIN MACHATE The Chelsea Chronicles
When her life falls apart, a struggling designer gets unexpected mentorship from the ghost of Quentin Crisp, the celebrated English writer and raconteur, who helps her learn that creativity and confidence are the only accessories that matter.
Kevin began his film career as an actor before moving into producing, directing, and writing. His films and screenplays have won awards worldwide, with recent work screening across the United States, Europe, South America, Oceania, and Asia. He has directed ten short films and produced over fifty projects. His latest film, Worst Enemy co-stars three-time Emmy nominee Barry Corbin and is expected to premiere in 2026. He is a disabled US Air Force Veteran and three-time Guinness World Record holder.
Connect with Kevin on Instagram.
SHORT/WEB SERIES FINALISTS
LIAM MATTHEW GARDNER Making the Most of the Night
After being ditched by a friend pursuing a hookup, a horny and hesitant trans man takes to online cruising for a rendezvous of his own.
Liam Matthew Gardner holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Production & Design from Northwestern State University. Liam is an actor, writer, technician, & cannabis enthusiast. Notable works include: Transcend DSFWS 2022 Semifinalist. Leon in Smoke Breaks. Driven by the desire to create art through a trans and queer lens, Liam is devoted to sharing stories from underrepresented communities & is intrigued by the intertwining of activism, art, pop culture, and human connection.
JOHN MABEY Revelations
John Mabey (They/Them) is a writer with plays produced in nine countries and throughout the United States. Their work as a writer is deeply connected to a career in Psychology, where holding imagined therapy sessions with characters inspires every new work. John is also a published author in academic books and journals about the connections between spirituality, gender and sexual identity. When not writing, they enjoy teaching and performing improvised comedy and true storytelling globally.
Kass is a filmmaker from Knoxville, TN. They dabble in all aspects of film, but they especially enjoy editing and directing. Their love of sitcoms inspires a lot of their own silly videos. When they're not making movies with their friends, they're being woken up by their cat at 5am or watching The Nanny for the 7th time through. Their ultimate dream is to make queer little movies and get paid for it too.
Keep up with John on their website on Facebook or Instagram.