SUPER NEW PLAY SPECIAL!
A Festival of Short Works
Seven Ten-Minute Plays by Writers from Northeast Ohio
May 13 & 14, 2022
Friday & Saturday at 7:30 pm
Safety
Due to the small size of our venue, all patrons must wear masks covering both the nose and mouth while in attendance for all performances in May 2022. Masks must be surgical, KN95, or N95, and must not be bandanas, face shields, or other substitutes. Surgical masks will be provided at no cost at our box office. Note that ticket sales for this event opened during a low ebb in the Covid pandemic, and that Playwrights Local reserves the right to revise this policy in the event of another spike in cases or similar health crisis. Consult our policy at www.playwrightslocal.org.
Creative Team
Stage Manager / Props Designer……….Lisa L. Wiley
Production Coordinator……….Eva Nel Brettrager
Lighting Designer……….Andrew Kaletta
Sound Designer / Assistant Stage Manager……….Neil Sudhakaran
Technical Director……….Tom Hayes
Production Manager……….David Todd
DIY
Written by Brian Zoldessy
Directed by Fred Sternfeld
DIY is the latest trend in psychotherapy. Our protagonist has purchased the Porta-Shrink Do-It-Yourself Psychotherapy Kit, and every week, under the guidance of his cardboard cutout therapist, he strives to verbalize and face the fears that have plagued him for so long. Will today be his breakthrough session? Will additional sessions be necessary, or is he at the breaking point and about to abandon weeks of therapy?
Frayed
Written by Sara Bogomolny
Directed by Casey Venema
Sisters Arielle and Lara both dream of living fully realized lives. When an unexpected breakup lands them in the same apartment, they struggle with the ways that each represents the very thing that they’re trying to grow beyond.
Moth to a Flame
Written by Reys Phillips
Directed by Eva Nel Brettrager
A young moth, having lived to the prime of her short life, chances upon a spider’s nest during her evening flight. Had it been a normal encounter, she would have kept away to preserve her existence. However, one look into the spider’s eyes sealed her fate. Experience the moth’s last evening as she dances with death towards her demise.
Of Straw Dogs: A User’s Guide to the Tao Te Ching
Written by Logan Cutler Smith
Directed by T. Paul Lowry
Of Straw Dogs is inspired by tales surrounding the composition of the Tao Te Ching, a classic of Eastern religious philosophy. The Tao was supposed to have been written by Lao Tzu, who is supposed to have existed, at the behest of the keeper of the pass, through which Lao Tzu was passing – supposedly. Brian is a gatekeeper; he keeps a gate. He’s an ordinary person with ordinary problems, holding it together as best he’s able, when he meets Lao Tzu, the old master, who comes riding by on a blue Ox. And Brian’s life (at least the part of it you’ll see onstage) will never be the same again.
The Last Hurrah
Written by Vickie L. Williams
Directed by Luther Pete Robinson
Based on interviews with three Cleveland local Tuskegee Airmen, the late Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Clarence Jamison, the late Master Sergeant (MSG) Thomas Austin, and Corporal (CPL) Roy Richardson, as they point out black achievements in the U.S. Armed Services. Those achievements are labeled as hurrahs. The first hurrah was when racists believed black people were incapable of learning. The Tuskegee Airmen not only learned how to fly, but their superior flying techniques won them eight Distinguished Unit Citations. Racists also believed blacks should be kept separate from white society. Tuskegee Airmen refused to accept discrimination and their actions at Freeman Field resulted in President Truman signing an Executive Order to integrate the U.S. armed services. Hurrah! In 1941, they won the first Top Gun Gunnery Competition, and after years of not being given credit, they finally provided proof, the last hurrah.
400 Hours
Written by David Todd
Directed by Christopher Johnston
An anomic night owl explores the city at 4:00 a.m., finding flashes of memory in a series of couples he encounters.
No Returns
Written by Agnes Herrmann
Directed by Rachel Zake
A young woman tries to return a wedding shower gift, but is informed that there is a no-return policy on intimate apparel. After much discussion, the talk turns to what some women really want.
Photos
Credit: Grace McC Photography. Click for complete gallery.