Ann Arbor Civic Theatre will present a weekend of new works and original adaptations on Feb. 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 20 at 2 p.m., at A2CT's Studio Theater, at 322 W. Ann St. All performances are free.

"The Play’s the Thing" is an opportunity for playwrights to have their works read, discussed, and re-worked, and it’s also an opportunity for the audience to hear new works and to give feedback to the playwrights. Each performance features a different type of play, and five works were selected from a field of 18: "Show Me Your Shorts," on Friday evening, features the 10-minute short play "A Good Samaritan" by Charles Roth; and a short full-length script, "Quad Life," by Lauren Jordan. On Saturday evening, "One is the Loneliest Number" features two one-act-length plays: "Blatnoy Blues" by Eoin Carney and "Love and Squalor" by Bilha Birman Rivlin. Sunday afternoon’s "I Can’t Believe I Read the Whole Thing" features the full-length script "You Can Spend Your Whole Life Running," by Aislinn Frantz.

“This ‘mini-festival’ is a way for playwrights to hear the words they write and to receive feedback from the audience,” said A2CT’s Playing Around playwriting contest founder, Catherine Zudak, in a press release. “It’s a step above a table-read (a script workshop where participants literally sit at a table to read a play), but it’s really simply a reading of plays by local actors. The words are the focus of the evening, and feedback at the end is a critical portion of the event. It’s an exciting chance for audience members to participate in the crafting of a new play, and an invaluable tool for playwrights to hone their works.”

"The Play’s the Thing" is scheduled in addition to A2CT’s annual playwriting festival, "Playing Around: Staged Readings of New Works," now in its fifth year. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of this popular event, one play from the eight previous winners will receive a fully staged production July 15-17.

“We’re very excited about staging a full production of one of our past winners,” said Civic program director Cassie Mann, “but we don’t want to eliminate the nurturing of new scripts. 'The Play’s the Thing' provides an opportunity for playwrights to develop their works, while 'Playing Around V' celebrates the success of an emerging playwright.”

For more information, call 734-971-2228 or visit http://www.a2ct.org.