What do Moonlighting, I Love Lucy, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Michael Hollinger's Red Herring have in common? At first glance, they seem to come from very different worlds. One is a screwball detective series from the 1980s, another is one of television's most beloved sitcoms, another is a fast-paced comedy-drama set in the late 1950s, and Red Herring is a stage comedy wrapped around a murder mystery. But beneath the surface, they all share the same irresistible ingredients: quick wit, unforgettable characters, romantic tension, and a healthy dose of chaos. If you're a fan of any of these iconic shows, you'll likely find yourself right at home in Red Herring.
It is 70 miles from Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s hometown of Grand Chute to Sturgeon Bay, and we are decades removed from his reckless allegations of communism which drove America’s Red Scare.
Here in Sturgeon Bay, we make things. It is part of who we are. Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP) sits directly adjacent to the largest shipyard on the Great Lakes, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, a visible reminder of collective work making big things. Recently, at TAP’s annual gala, we announced that our winter series of staged readings will, in 2027, become the WinterWorks New Play Festival.
After a recent showing of Moonlight and Magnolias at Third Avenue PlayWorks (TAP), audience members participated in an exclusive talkback with the show’s cast and two Midwest filmmakers.
A red herring is an idiom that is a “piece of information, clue, or subject that is deliberately or accidentally used to mislead, distract, or divert attention away from the central, most important issue.” This idiom derives from the practice of using a pungent, salted, and smoked fish (herring) to draw hunting hounds off a scent. The playwright uses a literary “red herring” to mislead the audience into believing one thing, when another may be true. How many red herrings can you find in the play? The nonpungent, idiomatic kind, of course.
Selected playwrights will receive a week-long workshop, housing, and a $600 honorarium in Sturgeon Bay. Submissions are now being accepted through August 2, 2026 for the inaugural WinterWorks New Play Festival scheduled for February of 2027 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
