On Monday night, the Phoenix Theatre’s Hormel Festival of New Plays and Musicals kicked off its 2014 performances. The festival runs through March 16 and features plays and musicals at the theatre at 100 E. Mcdowell Rd. in Phoenix.

Festival organizer and Associate Artistic Director Robert Kolby Harper and Kathy Conry, writer of “What He Knew About Women: The Music of Cy Coleman," discussed the festival. Her work is featured at the festival this Friday and Saturday. And Mark Cornell is the writer of “At Birth," also appearing at the festival.