Running Aug. 3-5, the festival will culminate in a full production of 35mm: A Musical Exhibition, a collection of songs by Ryan Scott Oliver based on the photography of Matthew Murphy. It is presented by the Encore Theater Company.

Here's a look at the musicals:

Dani Girl, penned by Michael Kooman (music) and Christopher Dimond (book and lyrics).

Marya Spring Cordes directs a cast including Abby E. Cates, Brendan Plate, Jamie Cordes and Katie Pees.

According to the Human Race, Dani Girl is "a beautiful, touching and unexpectedly humorous story of a 9-year-old girl battling leukemia. Her incredible imagination takes her on a fantastical quest to get her hair back when she loses it to chemotherapy. With the help of a fellow patient, 10-year-old Marty, and her imaginary friend, Raph, she confronts Cancer and asks him, 'Why?'" Red-Blooded, All-American Man, authored by Todd Lawson, Carter Anne McGowan and the New Orleans rock band Cowboy Mouth.

Kevin More directs a cast including Todd Lawson, Amy Leigh, Paige Dobkins, Scott Stoney and Sara Mackie, with band members Jay Brunner, Allison Kelly and Kevin Anderson.

Red-Blooded, All-American Man, is billed as "the story of a regular guy having a pre-midlife crisis. Tucker, our main guy, has a beautiful fiancée and a good job, but he’s still not happy. His mind wanders—with the help of the rock band in his head that comments on everything he does. Unsure of his life and afraid of his future, he's ready to throw it all away for the chance to make his dreams come true only to discover that sometimes getting everything you wish for is not as great as you imagine."

David Brush will direct 35mm: A Musical Exhibition, which will feature Elizabeth Wellman, Melissa Hall, Drew Bowen, Zachary Jordan Steele. The band includes Zachary Jordan Steele, Amy Gray, Melissa Hall, Allison Kelly and Jeremy King.

Here's how it's billed: "They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, but what about a song? Can one picture inspire a song? How about fifteen photos? In 35mm, each photo creates a different song completely disconnected from the other creating fifteen different and unique moments frozen in time; a glimmer of a life unfolding, a glimpse of something happening. This stunning new multimedia musical explores a groundbreaking new concept in musical theatre... This intricately woven collection of stories told through song re-imagines what the modern American musical can be."

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Phone (937) 228-3630 or visit humanracetheatre.org. All performances take place at the Loft Theatre, located at 126 North Main Street in downtown Dayton, OH.