Photos from my debut play: Don't Cry for the Wolves

My debut play, Don't Cry for the Wolves, which I both wrote and directed, premiered as an early workshop performance at HART Theatre in Hillsboro, OR, this past Saturday. The play was produced as part of Portland's Fertile Ground Festival of New Works. The photo above shows Sage Wilhelm and Thea Hammond performing as Wolves and Aj Graham as Grandmother. 

Here's the full cast list:

               Ruby  Abby Kelly 

Grandmother  Aj Graham 

    Newscaster  Daniel Stapp 

            Wolves  Sage Wilhelm 

                           Thea Hammond 

My entire cast gave moving, unforgettable performances. The audience reacted with laughter, gasps, tears, and even stunned silence. I can't even begin to describe how magical and emotional it felt to watch this cast perform my deeply personal script with an audience hanging on their every word. I ended up sobbing by the end.

I put this play together on a shoestring budget. The actors only got to perform their roles on one night, but everyone enthusiastically agreed to be a part of this festival performance and generously gave of their time and their talents. They also kindly helped out with costumes and props. 

Special shout-out to my sister, Carrie, for creating the wolf paws shown in the photo above. She also designed and sewed a wonderful moon prop. 

I'm actually really sad that this performance is now over. I hope to find more opportunities for the piece in the future. In the meantime, I'm starting work on my next play. 

Yes, there will be more plays!

Here are more photos from Saturday 's performance. 

My pre-show talk.

Abby Kelly, Sage Wilhelm, Thea Hammond,
and Aj Graham.

Aj Graham and Daniel Stapp.

Sage Wilhelm, Thea Hammond, Abby Kelly,
Aj Graham, and Daniel Stapp.

Aj Graham, Daniel Stapp, Abby Kelly, and me
at the cast party in downtown Hillsboro. 

Tickets Available for DON'T CRY FOR THE WOLVES!

Tickets for my one-act play, Don't Cry for the Wolves, are now on sale on HART Theatre's Fertile Ground Festival website!

The play will be performed at HART Theatre in Hillsboro, Oregon, on the evening of Saturday, April 11, 2026, 7:30 pm, as part of Portland's Fertile Ground Festival of New Works. My production will be paired that night with another one-act play, Howard vs Love by Abrianna Aydee. 

Here's the official synopsis for Don't Cry for the Wolves:

Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Cat Winters reimagines "Little Red Riding Hood" as a haunting, modern fairy tale. When a wolf roams nearby in the deep, dark woods, Ruby and her grandmother must decide who to trust and who to fear. 

Not only did I write this play, but I'm directing it and in charge of the stage design, lighting design, casting, props, costumes, and just about everything else, although I'm getting some wonderful help from family members and my cast. 

Because it's part of the Fertile Ground Festival, Don't Cry for the Wolves will be performed as an early workshop, meaning it's new, experimental theater, not a polished finished production. Actors will be allowed to have scripts in hand, but there will be movement, basic costumes, wolfish sound effects, custom-made props, and a story that I hope will move you and haunt you.

If you'll be anywhere near Hillsboro, Oregon, on April 11, I hope you can make it to the show! I would love to see you there. 

Don't Cry for the Wolves: Promotional Graphic, Synopsis, & Performance Date

Look at this gorgeous, haunting graphic for my upcoming one-act play, Don't Cry for the Wolves! Erin K. designed the image for me, and I love it! A version with the theater's info on it is forthcoming, but I wanted to reveal the graphic here and publicly thank Erin for her beautiful design. You can find her portfolio at artstation.com/erin-k.

And here's the official synopsis for Don't Cry for the Wolves:

Bram Stoker Award-nominated author Cat Winters reimagines "Little Red Riding Hood" as a haunting, modern fairy tale. When a wolf roams nearby in the deep, dark woods, Ruby and her grandmother must decide who to trust and who to fear. 

The play will be performed at HART Theatre in Hillsboro, Oregon, on the evening of Saturday, April 11, 2026. It's part of the citywide Fertile Ground Festival and will be paired that night with another one-act play, Howard vs Love by Abrianna Aydee. 

Tickets will go on sale on this page of HART's ticketing software on February 23, 2026. If you would like to be notified when they're available, please subscribe to my newsletter or find me on BlueSky or Instagram at @catwintersbooks. You can also receive updates through HART's Instagram and Facebook accounts.

I know not everyone who wants to see this play can come to Oregon. I'm working on ways to make the script available for theaters and schools to license, so hopefully it will find homes beyond Oregon in the future. Thank you for your interest! 

Coming April 2026: Don't Cry for the Wolves

I'm happy to announce that my one-act play, Don't Cry for the Wolves, will be performed at HART Theatre in Hillsboro, Oregon, as part of the citywide Fertile Ground Festival in April 2026. This production will mark my debut as a playwright—a dream of mine ever since I performed my own plays with my sister and cousins in my family's living room as a kid. I'm so excited!

Don't Cry for the Wolves is a reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood for our modern era. I'm honored that HART selected the piece to be included in their Fertile Ground lineup and can't wait to dive into the process of bringing it to the stage.

The festival will run at HART from April 10-18, 2026. I'll learn the specific date my play will be performed in the near future, and I will certainly keep everyone updated with the latest news.

Back when I was younger, I studied both drama and English at the University of California, Irvine, and participated in a five-week Theatre in London program through Michigan State University. I took playwriting courses while at UC Irvine and got involved in playwrights workshops there, writing scripts that I and other actors performed. 

For various reasons, I tucked away my desire to work in the theater for decades after graduating from college, but many of my novels have incorporated the theater and theatricality. The Cure for Dreaming even opens in a theater in Portland, Oregon.

I've been working at a performing arts center since 2022, which rekindled my love of the stage. I've longed to become more involved in productions and received encouragement to give this festival a try. I'm so glad I did.

Much more info to follow. Huge thanks to HART and their Fertile Ground Committee for selecting Don't Cry for the Wolves!