AUBURN, Ala. (WRBL) — Award-winning playwright Alicia Kester will showcase her new play “Water Spirits” in Auburn on June 8.

The staged reading of the play will be held at 6 p.m. at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University and will be free of charge.

“Water Spirits” explores the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the experience of people coming home to the devastation and the things that are lost. The central character, Denise, returns to an ancestral home to find more than her memories are drowned in the water flooding her living room.

“Water Spirits,” an abridged, staged reading is directed by Abdul-Khaliq Murtadha, assistant professor of theater and dance at Auburn University. There will be a talk-back with the playwright immediately following the performance. The event is open to the public.

There will also be a Meet-the-Playwright reception on June 7 at 6 p.m. at the Bottling Plant Event Center located at 614 N. Railroad Ave. in Opelika. The free reception will give the public an opportunity to meet the playwright and ask questions.