After helming Theatreworks Silicon Valley’s New Works Festival since 2014, Giovanna Sardelli is looking at the festival’s 20th anniversary from a different perspective, having recently been named TheatreWorks’ new artistic director,

The New Works Festival runs Aug. 11-20 at Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. Kicking off this year’s festival at 6 p.m. on Aug. 11 is a special fundraising event featuring two contemporary playwrights: Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang (“Madame Butterfly,” “Chinglish”) and Obie Award winner Rajiv Joseph (“Archduke,” “The North Pool”). The benefit includes dinner and an onstage event, with all proceeds going to support TheatreWorks. Tickets are $75-$325.

A second fundraiser, “Songs and Stories with Shakina: A Musical TheatreWorks Fundraiser and Party,” is set for Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 for the show and $150 for both the show and the after-party.

Actor/transgender activist Shakina Nayfack will premiere a number of songs from her new musical at the show. She is the founding artistic director of the Musical Theatre Factory in New York, which has helped develop hundreds of new musicals.

Next up on Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. (and repeated on Aug. 16 and 18 at the same time) will be a staged reading of “Happy Pleasant Valley: A Senior Sex Scandal Murder Mystery Musical.” Award-winning playwright/composer Min Kahng wrote the book, music and lyrics for this show.

At the New Works festival it will be directed by Jeffrey Lo, with musical direction by William Liberatore. “Happy Pleasant Valley’s” cast includes Emily Kuroda of “The Gilmore Girls” and Claire Kwon, who appeared in “Almost Famous” on Broadway, as well as regional theater performers Ezra Reaves and Mary Jo McConnell.

Staged readings of “Nerve” by playwright Minita Gandhi are set for Aug. 13 and Aug. 19, at 3 p.m. This dark comedy was developed during Gandhi’s writing residency at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

The cast of “Nerve” features Rachna Khatau, who appeared in “The Big Bang Theory” on television, and Tiffany Yvonne Cox, who performed in the television series “American Horror Story” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Miriam A. Laube, who will direct “Queen” next season for TheatreWorks, also appears in “Nerve.”

The theater will be dark on Monday, Aug. 14, but the New Works Festival continues on Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m. with “Low Expectations,”  which will be and repeated Aug. 19 at noon. Actor Michael Gaston wrote and will perform in a combination of a true monologue and a fictitious short story.

Sardelli directs “Low Expectations” with the musical score both written and performed live by actor/musician Daniel Pearce.

“Madeleines,” a play that won the 2022 National Jewish Playwriting Contest, will be presented during the New Works Festival: on Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. and Aug. 20 at 3 p.m.

Written by playwright Bess Welden, “Madeleines” tells the story of Debra, who returns to her childhood home to care for her aging mother.  It will be directed by Leslie Martinson, TheatreWorks’ former associate artistic director, who held several other positions during her 30-plus years with the theater company. The “Madeleines” cast includes regional actors Teressa Foss, Danielle Levin and Lynne Soffer.

The 2023 New Works Festival will offer a “Meet the Artists” event at noon on  Aug. 20. Tickets are $20 for this but are also included with a festival pass.

Festival passes are $60 ($55 for TheatreWorks season 53 subscribers), with individual event tickets priced at $20, at 650-463-1960 or www.theatreworks.org.