Premiere Stages, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Kean University, is pleased to recognize “Killer” by Steve Apostolina as a Semi-Finalist for the 2023 Premiere Play Festival. “Killer” rose through a competitive selection process conducted by Premiere staff and a panel of outside theatre professionals to become one of 40 Semi-Finalists out of 701 submissions. The panel was particularly impressed by the genuine care shown in the piece, and the play’s engagement with sports, their (potentially dangerous) toll on the body, and what we will put our bodies on the line for. Our congratulations and thanks to Steve.

A compelling and powerful play that explores toxic masculinity and football culture in the south and how the immense pressure to win coupled with unbending religious beliefs, stifles a young man's quest to be himself. The characters in this play are richly drawn, warm, funny, frightening, and heartbreaking. When watching them around the dinner table, you feel like you are there passing the cornbread. They must wade through their morality and ultimately decide whether or not to cash in on their son's accident and his hidden sexual orientation - a decision between pride and love. An excellent play.