Discover how Artistic Director DeAndre Simmons is redefining the stage with raw stories, emerging voices, and a sense of belonging.
by scott leonard
A Theatre Experience That Strips It Down to the Essentials
At the heart of Escondido’s vibrant arts scene, the Staged Reading Festival at CCAE Theatricals is proving that you don’t need elaborate sets or costumes to move an audience. Now in its second year, this intimate, one-day event focuses on storytelling in its purest form—inviting audiences into a space where words, voice, and connection take center stage.
Led by Artistic Director DeAndre Simmons, the festival creates an inclusive platform for new works, emerging talent, and audiences hungry for stories that reflect their own lives.
“Stripped of most of the costumes, the gallery of lights and sets, a staged reading is just that—actors, with scripts in hand or on a music stand, taking direction to read a story,” says Simmons. “What you hear and what you feel become the proverbial ‘star of the show.’ The staging is created to lend support to the words as the actors present them. It dwells in the space between full production and table read.”
Fostering Belonging—On and Off the Stage
The festival’s mission goes well beyond performance. It’s about creating community.
“One of the key aspects we’ve created on both sides of this festival is a sense of community… a village. A goal has been to encourage people from the youngest to the oldest to come and share in this creativity, this art-making, and in this wonderful day of being together to create a common energy that will, we hope, transport and inspire us all,” Simmons shares.
He adds, “Theatre is not just about the performer. The audience matters. There’s an ebb and flow, a give and take—and without that ‘community,’ it doesn’t work the same. Just showing up is important. Our aim is that everyone leaves a little better in thought, emotion, and spirit.”
Choosing Stories That Reflect the World We Live In
When it came to curating this year’s lineup, Simmons was intentional about representation and reliability.
“I’ve grown up in the theatre. It has been the platform on which I have had the most experience and recognition. I know the feeling of being the only Black person in the cast,” he reflects. “The experience of feeling like the ‘only one’ is unilateral.”
“We chose works that spoke to the everyday experience—man, woman, child, old, young, queer, lover, friend, parent, humor, drama. We wanted to be as inclusive as possible so that, perhaps, no one feels like the ‘only one’—at least during this day. We are all in it together.”
Why It Matters—for Artists and Audiences Alike
The Staged Reading Festival isn’t just a performance opportunity; it’s a vital proving ground for new works and developing voices.
“Trial and error. Throw it on the wall and see what sticks,” Simmons says with a smile. “With new works, one must see how the words sound outside of the playwright’s head. How an audience responds—with laughter, silence, or applause. The environment created by the actor slightly changes how the playwright saw it. This festival creates a platform for the playwright to learn and grow and edit.”
It’s also an artistic playground for actors and a place for audiences to engage in fresh, immediate storytelling.
“It offers an audience storytelling that may be more similar and more easily understandable to their lives—in a contemporary way,” he explains.
Rooted in CCAE Theatricals’ Mission of Connection
The festival is a direct reflection of CCAE Theatricals’ mission: “To celebrate the human connection through theatre and education.”
“That’s what it’s all about—celebrating what makes us human and what makes us special both individually and collectively,” Simmons says simply.
What DeAndre Hopes You’ll Take With You
More than anything, Simmons hopes that this day of theatre resonates long after the final scene.
“There’s the old adage of the church that, ‘If just one is changed, we’ve done something good.’ We believe we are doing something that, while not new to the world of theatre, will create a profound impact,” he says.
“Our hope is that everyone will be able to take something away that they’ll talk about for hours, days, weeks—and even until we do it again next year. We hope everyone leaves feeling seen, feeling heard, their personal stories reflected on stage, and above all, feeling the great communal love we hope to be creating.”
Event Info
Date: Saturday, August 16
Location: The Grand | Ritz Theatre
Tickets & Info: theatricals.org/staged-reading-festival