The Atlanta Shakespeare Company at The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse has revealed the winners of the prestigious 2025 Muse of Fire Playwriting Contest, celebrating playwrights from the global majority who have submitted works that reimagine Shakespearean themes.
This year, the contest invited entries that align with the festival theme: “Let Me Be That I Am, And Seek Not to Alter Me,” encouraging exploration of identity, self-acceptance, and the pressures to conform.
Among the top three winners, the plays will receive staged readings performed by local Atlanta creatives, providing a platform for these fresh perspectives on classic narratives.
Maya Torres took first place with her play, “El Mercante,” which is a modern retelling of “The Merchant of Venice.” Set against the backdrop of a predominantly white town, this reimagined narrative features Tio Sanchez, a Mexican immigrant and owner of a taqueria.
When a food truck opportunity arises for one of his employees, Tio Sanchez finds himself grappling with the cost of progress and the pressures of assimilation. The play, set in 2024 and 2025, provokes thought on the themes of justice and self-preservation, considering the modern implications of notions like “a pound of flesh” and “the quality of mercy.”
Maya Torres is an Atlanta-based writer, producer, and filmmaker. Although “El Mercante” marks her first full-length work, Torres has previously showcased her 10-minute plays in notable events such as Act For a Change at Windmill Arts and ATL Original Works with PushPush Arts. Offstage, she is a dedicated preschool educator and a rescue dog mom.
LaDarrion Williams claimed the second-place spot with his play, “Hurt People.” The narrative centers around Marcel Bennett, a thirty-year-old man returning to Birmingham, Alabama, to confront his past and unlearn the childhood traumas that have impacted his artistic journey.
When Marcel reconnects with an old high school friend, latent feelings resurface, prompting him to grapple with emotional truths that must be dealt with for him to move forward.
This coming-of-age story heavily delves into themes of Black masculinity and sexuality, exploring the adage that “hurt people hurt people.”
Hailing from Helena, Alabama, LaDarrion Williams is a self-taught playwright, filmmaker, and author known for amplifying Black fantasy in his works. His plays, including “Coco Queens” and “Boulevard of Bold Dreams,” have garnered national admiration. His debut novel, “Blood at the Root,” became an instant New York Times Bestseller, further establishing his voice in literature.
The third place was awarded to Novid Parsi for his work, “Painting in Public.” This poignant piece revolves around Al and Betty, two individuals navigating the emotional turmoil of loss while developing a connection.
However, significant challenges arise when Betty, a Black portrait artist, discovers that Al, who has a mixed Middle Eastern and White background, does not always present as the person she has fallen in love with.
Novid Parsi’s body of work has been recognized by theaters nationwide, with accolades such as being a MacDowell Fellow and winning the Ashland New Plays Festival twice. He is also the recipient of the Diverse Voices Playwriting Initiative. Parsi, the son of Iranian immigrants, resides in St. Louis with his husband.
The Muse of Fire Playwriting Festival, launched by the Atlanta Shakespeare Company in 2023, aims to give historically marginalized artists a voice.
The initiative invites BIPOC playwrights to create full-length plays that reinterpret Shakespeare’s themes through their unique perspectives.
The three finalists’ creative works were celebrated with staged readings scheduled for Atlanta in Summer 2025, with the grand prize winner also set to receive a $5000 cash award.
image source from：broadwayworld
