Here's a look at the schedule for the second annual New Works Festival at Marshall University:

THURSDAY, JUNE 26

"Lunch At the Fork 'n' Finger" by published playwright and Marshall University Theatre Alumnus Jonathan Joy. A one-act comedy about a man who returns to his boyhood home to find that his single mother has fallen in love with his old high school gym coach.

"Things Get Done" by Louisville, Ky., native Paul Deines. Brooklyn is burning. In the city, three men share drinks, make Molotov cocktails and await the approaching mob. As the riot draws nearer, they wrestle with the ghosts of their pasts and the collective past of a country born out of revolution.

"Knight-Owl" by well-known Huntington personality Clint McElroy. When he stumbles upon the long-lost secret headquarters of Knight-Owl, a costumed crime-fighter from the 1940s, con man Del Copperthwaite sees a money-making opportunity. Anticipating millions of dollars in endorsements, licensing deals and action figures, Del takes on the superhero mantle of Knight-Owl, hampered only by his complete lack of talent, experience, morals or honesty. What he does have is a quick wit, an even quicker tongue, and that strong sense of self-preservation that no scoundrel should be without.

"Stealing Romance" by T. Michael Murdock, a Marshall University alumnus and a professional actor/director. A short play about finding love in the most unexpected of places. On a dark, rainy night, a man robbing a video store reunites with the woman he has loved since grade school, and is immediately locked in the store with her. Throughout the next few hours, he encounters feelings he thought were gone forever, the woman's jealous ex-boyfriend, and must face down not only his fear of lightning, but also of heartbreak.

FRIDAY, JUNE 27

"A Sheep Among Wolves," a full-length comedy by Jonathan Joy will be presented. Joy is the author of 16 plays. He has won regional and national awards for his writing. His work has been produced off-Broadway in New York City and on stages in seven states. The Rev. Donald Daniels attempts to reconcile his brother's fourth broken marriage and save the soul of a young prostitute while his congregation revolts against him. Those familiar with Joy's "The Princess of Rome, Ohio" will enjoy the further adventures of Dicky Daniels.

SATURDAY, JUNE 28

"The Three Temptations of Jennifer Pierce," a full-length comedy written by Lee Shackleford, a writer for stage, screen, and radio with more than 100 produced scripts to his credit. He is perhaps best-known for his script "Holmes & Watson," which enjoyed a successful run off-Broadway with Shackleford in the role of Sherlock Holmes. His adaptation of the classic Czech play "R.U.R." has been widely praised and is gaining acceptance as the definitive English version.

This play is the story of smart-alecky loner Jennifer Pierce, who makes a wager with her annoyingly square housemate Cindy -- a challenge that Jennifer takes only to escape paying several months of rent she already owes to Cindy. The bet involves the atheist Jennifer sequestering herself in her apartment and waiting for God's "still small voice" to make itself heard. But instead of being alone for three days, Jennifer finds herself the focus of nationwide media attention when she apparently starts to undergo the exact temptations presented to Jesus during his 40 days in the wilderness. The result is a clash between evidence and faith, prejudice and acceptance, and pride and humility.