Royal Canadian Theatre Company kicks off its inaugural One-Act Play Festival on Saturday evening (May 5) at its home studio in Whalley, 10660 City Parkway.
The festival aims to offer theatre makers “an opportunity to present shorter, exciting and, perhaps, more contentious or challenging work,” according to Ellie King, the company’s founder and artistic director.
“It also affords emerging directors, writers and actors a chance to spread their artistic wings,” she added. “We encourage you to come and support these artists and their work. Help us make the studio a performance destination.”
The festival will showcase the same three short plays – two on May 5 (Correct Address and Something Borrowed, Everyone Blue) and all three (including Nightmares) on May 12 and May 19, starting at 7:30 p.m. on each evening. Tickets are $5 at the door. No pre-sales are available, and it’s “festival” seating in the studio. More details are posted at rctheatreco.com/oneacts.
“I love helping youngsters,” King told the Now-Leader, “and this (festival) has two original plays written by young women.”
Judd Silverman has written Correct Address, directed by Lorne Seifred. The plot: “A young man in a stripped apartment is packing his dead lover’s memorabilia to send home to his mother. Suddenly the lover appears as a ghost. They had quarrelled and now they reminisce and weep together.”
Something Borrowed, Everyone Blue is written and directed by Crystal Weltzin: “April Sinclair is ready for the happiest day of her life. That is if she can keep her inner bridezilla at bay. April has promised her friends and family to be on her best behavior but her recently dumped maid of honour, the wedding planner who forgot to plan and a sudden visit from her ex threaten to bring it all crashing down.”
Nightmares, written and directed by Kirat Guraya, is about a young man’s mother who is accused of doing magic, and is killed. “Life becomes very difficult for the young man, Isaac, until he meets Colin, who rescues him and who turns out to be something more than we thought.”
Meantime, by-appointment auditions for the company’s fall 2018 production of Arsenic and Old Lace will be held Saturday, May 6. The show, directed by King, will be staged in October at venues in Surrey and New Westminster. Applications from actors should be emailed to artsassociate@rctheatreco.com, c/o Ashton Ramsay.
