The festival, which features works by both professional and aspiring playwrights, continues through Dec. 15.

The festival's kick-off features an evening of 10-minute plays, directed by Katherine Harroff, that were written over the past year. The playwrights are community members who took part in The Old Globe Community Voices, a program dedicated to introducing adult residents of San Diego County to the process of creating their own theatrical work.

The weekend also includes readings of Luce by JC Lee, directed by Shana Cooper; The Great Pretender by David West Read, directed by Richard Seer; and A Nice Indian Boy by Madhuri Shekar, directed by James Vásquez.

“The Old Globe boasts a long and distinguished history as an incubator of new American works for the stage, and in launching our New Voices Festival, we aim to build on that strong legacy," artistic director Barry Edelstein said in a previous statement. "The three writers whose works we will showcase bring a variety of cultural and aesthetic perspectives to our stage that I know our audience will enjoy. But I’m particularly proud to build a bridge between their professional writing and the dazzling work created in our Community Voices writing workshops by an amazing group of talented San Diegans. Such connections deepen the bonds between The Old Globe and the community and place theater at the center of a conversation about the broad cultural life of our city.”

The festival lineup follows.  An Evening of Community Voices
Dec. 13 at 7:30 PM
"Over the past two years, The Old Globe Community Voices has provided free playwriting workshops in communities across San Diego County, resulting in the creation and public presentation of 10-minute plays. Now, a selection of plays written during Community Voices will be presented together in a unique evening of theater, giving life to a multitude of perspectives that truly capture the essence and diversity of San Diego."

An Evening of Community Voices features plays by Ken Felts, Jessica Hilt, Miller Oliver, Chris Parker, Lorena Santana, Gill Sotu and Khamp K. Thongrivong. Katherine Harroff directs.

Luce
By JC Lee
Dec. 14 at 4 PM
"Everyone wants to believe they’ve raised the perfect child, and in the eyes of parents Amy and Peter, their son Luce has exceeded all expectations. Since he was adopted from a war-torn African country, Luce has grown up to be an honors student, all-American athlete, and model citizen. But when a teacher makes an alarming accusation, everyone’s lives are upended, and Amy and Peter begin to question their idealized image of their son. Shana Cooper directs."

The Great Pretender
By David West Read
Dec. 14 at 7:30 PM
"Roy and his team of puppeteers have dedicated their lives to bringing joy and imagination into the hearts of children with their popular TV show 'Mr. Felt.' Their backstage antics and larger-than-life personalities have always threatened to overwhelm their world of make-believe, but when a private heartbreak strikes, their faith that the show must go on allows them to pull together the pieces and move forward. Richard Seer directs."

A Nice Indian Boy
By Madhuri Shekar
Dec. 15 at 4 PM
"Megha and Archit Gavaskar always dreamed about having a nice Indian boy like Keshav as a son-in-law. They just never imagined that he would marry not their daughter but their son — nor that he would be a Caucasian with more knowledge of Indian culture than their Americanized children. In this unexpected romantic comedy, one California family must learn how to find common ground between their culture’s honored traditions and the ever-changing world around them."

Tickets to all four readings are free but require reservations. Reservations can be made by calling (619) 23-GLOBE.

Viist OldGlobe.org for more information.