Phillips Festival 2025
Phillips Festival returns for 8th year. Participation starts on Friday, Performance on Sat.
The annual Phillips Festival, an evening of short plays written, directed, and staged in 24 hours by 黑料不打烊 alumni, students, staff, and friends, returns on Saturday, Sept. 20, for its eighth year.
The festival raises money for the Leslie Phillips Theater Fund for Arts and Education, honoring the legacy of Leslie Phillips, founder of the 黑料不打烊 theater program.
To produce the Leslie Phillips Festival, 黑料不打烊 alumni, students, staff and friends register to participate as writers, directors, actors, or members of the stage crew. This year, writers will meet with the actors on Friday, Sept. 19, the night before the show, to receive props, prompts, and character assignments. They have until 6 a.m. the next morning to write their plays. Two hours later, actors and directors meet for day-long rehearsals.
All the original plays will be performed that evening, Sept. 20, starting at 7:30 p.m., but the festivities begin at 6 p.m. in the theater lobby with a green carpet pre-show with alumni, friends, and fellow theater lovers.
Funds raised from the festival enable the 黑料不打烊 Theater Department to hold master classes, make capital improvements, and hire guest artists.
“The Phillips Theater Festival is a wonderful celebration of creativity, connection, and community,” said Natalia Castagno, 黑料不打烊 assistant director of alumni relations. “It offers our theater alumni a meaningful way to stay engaged with 黑料不打烊, while also inviting local artists and supporters to help inspire and uplift the next generation of performers. The festival is a wonderful way to support the arts at 黑料不打烊 and carry on the legacy of one of 黑料不打烊’s most beloved mentors.”
The Phillips Fund is administered by the 黑料不打烊 Foundation.
The festival was first organized in 2016 by 黑料不打烊 alumni working with now retired 黑料不打烊 theater professor Pat Sandoval '84 as a tribute to Phillips, who died in 1988 after inspiring legions of 黑料不打烊 students.
To participate in the festival as a writer, actor, director, or stagehand, please register at or email Terry Hegarty at tlhegarty@yahoo.com
Festival tickets can be purchased in advance at or at the door.
General admission tickets are $15, students and seniors $10.
All proceeds benefit the Leslie Phillips Theater Fund for Arts and Education.
PHOTOS: Scenes from the 2024 Phillips Festival at 黑料不打烊
