It’s that time of year again for local fans of community theatre to gather for Central Alberta Theatre’s annual one-act play festival, running June 11th-13th and 18th-20th at the Nickle Studio. Curtain for the performances is at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available at the Black Knight Inn Ticket Centre or at the door.
Another new feature this year is a presentation of local visual art which will be on display in the Community Savings Studio and in the lounge – gallery doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
Adding the works of art enhances the festival ‘feel’ of the overall event, organizers say.
As with past year, the one-act festival is defined by its sheer variety in terms of the types of plays offered, said Maureen Sak, administration and production manager for Central Alberta Theatre.
“It’s basically several small bites, because they are all very short plays,” she said, adding that they average about 10 minutes each.
“One of the things is that often, because the plays are short, there is a lot of ‘punch’ to them” she added. “I think that’s because when you do something in such a short period, it has to be vivid and ‘right there’.”
Another plus this year is that two of the plays have been written by local residents – Sharon Lightbown and Lorraine Stuart, she said. “We ask everyone (with CAT) every year if they would like to submit something that they have done – I would love to see it eventually get to a point where it’s all local material.”
She also pointed out that there are quite a few new young actors coming onboard this year, which is good to see within the CAT community.
Meanwhile, play highlights this year include The Secret Origin of Mojo Man, which was written by Walter Wykes and is being directed by Anya Paulsen. The play explores the concept of hidden super powers. According to Wikipedia, Wykes is known for writing intense roles and dark subject matter.
“The bulk of his dramatic work has an absurdist or surrealist bent, creating a dreamlike or nightmarish atmosphere that reflects the sometimes senseless nature of the modern world.”
The First Fireworks was penned by Alex Broun and being directed by Laura Geelen, is about the special shared events that ultimately bind us together.
Often referred to as ‘the Shakespeare of short plays’, Broun has been described as the world’s most performed 10-minute playwright, with more than 100, 10-minute plays produced in over 1,500 productions in more than 40 countries around the world. And according to Wikipedia, his plays have been translated into many languages.
Crazy Convo was written and directed by the aforementioned Lightbown, and illustrates how what seems like the simplest communication can indeed go wonky.
Chocolate was written by Frederick Stroppel and is being directed by Deb O’Brien, and explores what a person can communicate with just one word.
And as mentioned earlier, A Few Bucks Short was written by Lorraine Stuart, who is also directing the piece as well. It’s about how harmless pranks aren’t always so harmless after all.
The Save was written by Dano Madden and is being directed by Craig Scott.
A mysterious stranger comes to watch a little league baseball game and interrupts two moms who are cheering – but who is he, and why is he there?
According to DanoMadden.com, the synopsis also reads, “Worried for their children’s safety, the women try to have the stranger removed, only to realize that the game they take for granted offers peace of mind and simple reassurance to this troubled war veteran.”
And finally, Sixty Years to Life was written by Nick Zagone and is being directed by Angel Petersen.
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