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The curtain rises this fall on NAMBA Performing Arts Space’s 5th Annual Playwrights’ SPLASH Festival, a thrilling series that champions bold new voices and daring original works. Running September 20 through October 18, 2025, SPLASH brings six one-night-only performances to Ventura, each a raw, unfiltered exploration of identity, resilience, and the power of personal storytelling.These are not plays that tiptoe. They provoke, they inspire, they challenge—and they celebrate the audacity of theatre to connect us all. From immigrant journeys to the pulse of ragtime, from the fight to belong to the courage to stand apart, SPLASH invites audiences to witness the next wave of fearless performance.
“Each of these hour-long plays was adjudicated by a team of community members who attended the Hollywood Fringe Festival,” says Tamara Varney, Executive Director of NAMBA. “Their insights shaped the selection process and connect directly to our SPLASH Awards, which honor originality, storytelling, and impact. This year’s winners reflect the very best of bold theatre that dares to ask tough questions while inviting audiences to laugh, cry, and reflect.” Tickets are $20 in advance at www.NambaArts.com or $25 at the door. OR Get more Splash with SPLASH Pass – 3 shows for $50!
Festival Lineup — One Night Only at NAMBA
Saturday, September 20 at 7 PM – SPLASH Finalist: “Brick by Brick”
An immigrant performer’s story told through drama, dance, and comedy—laying down the road to her future, brick by brick.
Saturday, September 27 at 7 PM – SPLASH Finalist: “Black and Blue”
Four voices—an elder, a radical, a weary cop, a child—collide in one body to ask: what does it mean to live, love, and survive in Black skin?
Sunday, September 28 at 6 PM – SPLASH Winner: “Honey Honey Moon Moon”
A wild and witty musical dramedy where calamity lurks around every corner. Guitar and fiddle in hand, they ask: are they cursed—or blessed?
Saturday, October 4 at 7 PM – SPLASH Finalist: “Mine for the Tribe”
A fearless exploration of mental health in the arts, weaving clowning, character work, and candid self-discovery into one captivating journey.
Saturday, October 11 at 7 PM – SPLASH Finalist: “Me, Myself & Other”
Sharp, funny, and unexpectedly moving—this solo performance unpacks identity, disability, and the messy middle ground we all navigate.
Saturday, October 18 at 7 PM – SPLASH Finalist: “Syncopated Debauchery”
Award-winning pianist Eve Elliot leads a raucous romp through the birth of ragtime, where bawdy barrooms and Carnegie Hall collide.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
47 South Oak Street, Ventura, CA, United States, California 93001
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