| Summer Theatre Fest Returns — Be Sure to Check Out the Reading Series! |
| The Theatre League’s Summer Theatre Fest has become an integral part of South Florida’s cultural landscape, and this year, South Florida audiences will once again have the opportunity to see theatre for free, check out new plays in development by South Florida playwrights, and tell the world what the arts – and theatre – mean to them. The success of last summer’s Come Under Our Umbrella program and play reading series indicated to the League that theatre patrons are ready and willing to try new theatrical experiences, and even cross county lines to do it.
The theme governing this year’s Summer Theatre Fest activities is Step Onto Our Stage. A unique ‘step and repeat’ has been created especially for the program, featuring theatrical curtains in front of a wall imprinted with the League’s logo. Patrons will be invited to Step Onto Our Stage to be photographed or videoed ‘on stage’ as they are interviewed about their theatrical experiences, and the significance of the arts in their lives. The step and repeat, which made its ‘debut’ at the South Florida Theatre League sponsored Carbonell Awards ‘after party’, will travel to participating theatres throughout the summer. Summer Theatre Fest: Each Monday from June 1 to August 31, a South Florida Theatre League member theatre will host a reading of a new play by a local playwright. Playwrights range from established local favorites, including Carbonell Award-winners and nominees, to emerging talents, with plays vastly ranging in subject matter and style. All Readings Take Place on a Monday and are Free and Open to the Public. July 6th Death, a curmudgeonly complainer, has had it. He hates what he does, feels he gets no respect, and has developed a serious sense of worthlessness. Life, on the other hand — a voluptuous earth-mother type — is having an explosive, creative ball and just doesn’t see what Death’s problem is. Then Death informs Life that he quits. Q-U-I-T-S, quits. And the real problems begin, not the least of which arise when Death decides he wants to do what Life does and begins trying his hand at creating things…with disastrous results. It takes a mortal man — now at least 187 years old because nothing seems to die anymore — to re-instill a sense of value in Death before the metaphysical ship of being rights itself. July 6th Readings of Short Plays by local student playwrights. July 13 A Series of Short Plays Based on the Number Thirteen. July 20 Shift of Fortune is a story about a well to do, attractive 48 year old woman that lost her husband two years ago. Her name is Carol. For the past two years Carol can’t seem to get over Jack, her loving husband. Carol has no children and is very close to her friends Marie and Kinzie. Marie and Kinzie are becoming more and more frustrated with trying to get Carol to be open to a serious relationship again. Marie and Kinzie enjoy each other’s risqué hummer. Carol enjoys it too but knows she can’t compete. Carol says she has turned over a new leaf and tries to prove it by promising to visit Jack’s grave site only once a week instead of the usual twice a week. Marie doesn’t buy Carol’s commitment to change and devises a plan to test her. Marie and Kinzie ask Carol if they can take off their pillow boxing gloves and be more direct with her. Carol says yes and the women move to phase two of their plan. The plot moves, the twists come and a shift or two of fortunes occurs. With the addition of some more risqué jokes we come to the end where things seem to turn out OK. July 20 Seven short humorous plays chosen to amuse audiences of all ages and stages! July 27 July 27 The Prey, an original play by Miami playwright Gina Montet, is a tale of murder in the heart of the Everglades. Set deep within the wild Florida frontier and Inspired by actual events, The Prey is a chilling interpretation of one of Florida’s most notorious killings. August 3 Jordan Reams, on the fast track to partnership at a global law firm, has his professional life challenged when his cousin, Robbie Meeks, a first-year associate at the same firm, supersedes him on that fast track after a freak car accident. Clive McFadden, managing partner of the firm, is Jordan’s mentor; Tom Crawlston, the firm’s biggest rainmaker, is Robbie’s tormentor. Clive and Tom dangle partnerships to Jordan, Robbie and the other young attorneys like a dog treat. They want the associates to suffer like they did when they crawled up the ladder so they tell them all to beg or leave. Jordan “gets” it; Robbie doesn’t want to “get” it. The cousins have their worlds swapped after Robbie’s car accident. Robbie comes to understand the world of a law firm and appears to see it through Tom’s cutthroat eyes. Jordan is thrown and a bit worried by what is suddenly coming out of Robbie’s mouth, but still supports him. Ali Williams, a wannabe actress who loathes her day job but loves the money it brings in, calls out all the attorneys and their actions as she sees them. Her skill set, sophistication and fun personality keeps her employed. Ali and Jordan have always been in love and they finally admit it but a permanent relationship isn’t in the cards. Words of truth are spoken and denied by everyone. Jordan and Robbie must each “man up” in their own way, but to continue their love as cousins is up for monetary grab. August 3rd Catherine has just divorced Sebastian, but her spirits are fiercer than ever. She decides to travel throughout the United States with her new lover and colleague, Lewis. They are a kind of 21st century Lewis and Clark (Lewis and Catherine) trying to uncover stories in each of the fifty states. Along the way, they pick up a wayward nun named Rosalie, who has just gone through deep loss. They meet a teenaged girl named Blake, and rummage through the layers of migration that make up America – all sponsored by a rum named Monteverde. August 10 Come join City Theatre’s reading of 6 new short plays. After each reading, the play will be discussed, your feedback given and maybe one of these new plays will have earned its way into the next production of Summer Shorts or Shorts Gone Wild. Come toast the new work with a free wine reception. August 17 Details to be Announced August 17 Details to be Announced August 24 “We’re Party Girls. We just get paid to be there.” Natalie is finishing her first e-book. In need of a break, she visits her best friend from childhood living a chic new life in New York City as a model. But things are not as they seem and her friend is nothing like what she remembers. As things escalate quickly from one wild, super-exclusive party to the next, her friend goes missing in The Hamptons. Along with a bouncer with a secret, some models in the know and a chain of spooky anonymous emails – Natalie goes down a dark path to find what she’s been looking for all along- the perfect inspiration for her new book. August 31 Dana Castellano was a treasured supporter of the South Florida Theatre Community who passed away from cancer in November 2014. Last year, during Summer Theatre Fest, Naked Stage Artistic Producer Antonio Amadeo coordinated the first Dana Plays – an evening of short plays about hope. The event raised over $2,000. This year’s proceeds will be donated to one of Dana’s favorite charities, the Humane Society |
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Summer Theatre Fest Returns
July 2, 2015 by
