THESE SHINING LIVES chronicles the strength and determination of women considered expendable in their day, exploring their true story and its continued resonance. Catherine and her friends are dying, it’s true; but theirs is a story of survival in its most transcendent sense, as they refuse to allow the company that stole their health to kill their spirits—or endanger the lives of those who come after them.
Director
These Shining Lives
by Melanie Marnich
Director
An Absolutely True Story
(As Told by a Bunch of Lying Liars)
By Ian McWethy
Someone is in enormous trouble for breaking the priceless heirloom vase in the Peterson living room. But who? Someone is lying. Well, probably everyone is pretty much lying. Each suspect's account is is more outlandish than the last, from warring siblings Fred and Kelly, to their deeply weird friends Barney and Ava, to the family dog (according to the dog whisperer). But the truth? The truth is more slippery... and it may involve more Nutella than you could possibly imagine. Or not. Who knows!
Thirteen-year-old Edwina Spoonapple would do just about anything to be a part of the Kalamazoo Advice-a-Palooza Festival. While her siblings both have proof of their accomplishments, poor Edwina has nothing. When a talent scout from the convention visits her hometown, she trots out her musical advice, giving shows live from the family garage in hopes of finding her place in the spotlight. She is assisted by her older siblings, quirky friends and neighbors. Together, they set out to tackle the world's problems in number after hysterical number about everything from birthday party etiquette to proper table settings.
This beguiling, one-act charmer can be played anywhere with extremely modest sets and costumes. Sweet, smart and tuneful, Dear Edwina appeals to audiences of all ages and is perfect for educational tours or theatres looking to entertain young audiences.
Director
Dear Edwina Jr.
by Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich
Director
Our Place
by Terry Gabbard
The unassuming location of a dock extending out onto a small lake serves as the backdrop for five different stories. On a cool autumn night, Jake arrives with Holly at a secluded spot. The couple feels an immediate connection to this place as if it were put there just for them. Things seem perfect until Anne and her date, Lyle, arrive. On another day, early in the morning, Beth has plans to spend the day with her dad at their favorite fishing place. She has high hopes for catching some sunshine, a few fish, and her dad's fading memories. The third story involves Al, who arrives at the dock with his family and has high expectations for their family canoe trip. The only problem is that his wife would rather stay inside, his son has a chip on his shoulder, and his daughter is really weird. In the fourth story, Cory and Liberty are having a picnic lunch out by the lake, but a realization about tuna-fish sandwiches sends a shockwave through their relationship and brings about questions of who they are and what lies ahead for them. In the fifth story, Stanley escapes the hardships of his life to blow off some steam on the dock when Sidney, his 6-year-old sister, arrives. All he wants is for her to go away, but she insists on staying with him. The entire ensemble gathers on the dock together for the final scene. In a poetic epilogue, they all discover the true meaning of Our Place—both comedic and tragic.
Director
Bestest Bedtime Stories
(As Told by Our Grandpa)(He's Silly)
by Ed Monk
Grandpa's a little out of practice when it comes to babysitting, but if he's ever going to get his bouncy grandkids to go to sleep, he's got to remember some bedtime stories fast. Or at least something pretty close to them. Meet the Witch who lives in a house made of broccoli, the magical fairies Aspirin and Pepto Bismol, and Jack and Jill who climbs a beanstalk - and needs a little help from the stage crew to get down. You may think you know your fairy tales, but not the way Grandpa tells them.
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This is a student performance.
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Director
Impromptu by Tad Mosel
Director
Sylvia by AR Gurney
Greg and Kate have moved to Manhattan in the suburbs. Greg’s career as a financial trader is winding down, while Kate’s career, as a public-school English teacher, is beginning to offer her more opportunities. Greg brings home a dog he found in the park bearing only the name “Sylvia” on her name tag. A street-smart Lab, Sylvia becomes a major bone of contention between husband and wife. She offers Greg an escape from the frustrations of his job and the unknowns of aging. To Kate, Sylvia becomes a rival for affection while Sylvia thinks Kate doesn’t understand the relationship between man and dog. The marriage is put in serious jeopardy until, after a series of hilarious and touching complications.
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CAST and CREW:
Sylvia: Aly Olvera
Kate: Kristin Talley
Greg: Richie Wilkins
Tom/Phyllis/Leslie: Kelley Grey
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Stage Manager: Kaitlin Smith
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Director
The Great Alphabet Adventures
by Julia Flood
On a rainy afternoon, Alex comes home from school looking forward to playing video games before his mom gets home from work. When the power goes out and his only entertainment option is to read, Alex feels certain that he will die of boredom. Enter Zora, the new girl next door who is determined to go on an adventure. Zora discovers that Alex's old picture book, The Great Alphabet Adventure, is mysteriously blank and that their job as explorers will be to find the missing letters and return them to the book. Alex's ordinary room begins to reveal extraordinary hidden worlds and a cast of wacky characters who lead Alex, Zora and the audience on a treasure hunt through the alphabet.
Four actors sit on a darkened stage, awaiting the arrival of the stage manager who has called them together. Lacking his authoritative presence they are merely characters in search of a play to become part of, for their own personalities seem unformed and shallow next to the full-blooded figures they are used to playing. As they wait, the stage lights come up—but still no one appears to tell them what they are to do. They know only that they are not to leave the stage until they have “acted out the play.” Ernest, the “leading man,” Winifred, who always plays the “leading lady’s best friend"; Lora, the struggling ingenue; and Tony, the juvenile lead.
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CAST:
Ernest: Patricio Onetto
Lora: Sarah Wilson
Winifred: Emma Jo Tower
Tony: Quenten McNair
Assistant Director
Appropriate by Brandon Jacob-Jenkins
Every estranged member of the Lafayette clan has descended upon the crumbling Arkansas homestead to settle the accounts of the newly-dead patriarch. As his three adult children sort through a lifetime of hoarded mementos and junk, they collide over clutter, debt, and a contentious family history. But after a disturbing discovery surfaces among their father’s possessions, the reunion takes a turn for the explosive, unleashing a series of crackling surprises and confrontations.
