Five directors have selected casts for seven new plays to be presented over four days in Aloha Performing Arts Company’s 23rd annual Original Play Festival.
Five directors have selected casts for seven new plays to be presented over four days in Aloha Performing Arts Company’s 23rd annual Original Play Festival.
From Aug. 17-20, OPF XXIII will feature staged readings of never-before-performed or published scripts. Presentation is in simple staged reading format, with actors holding scripts in most cases.
The festival opens Aug. 17 with a quadruple bill.
The first half of the evening is directed by Renee Monell. “Into the Fire,” by Katherine Dubois is up first, and features an imaginary meeting between Mark Twain and Isabella Bird, played by Dan Hoff and Nora Judd, respectively. Immediately following, “Ebook Meets Treebook,” by Rex McGregor, takes the stage. This is a short riff on the classic struggle between technology and tradition, enacted by Bill Cruise, Janemarie Singer, Jaquelynn Collier and Michael Linnett.
After intermission, two plays directed by Paula Cornwell will be presented. “Water View,” by Ray Arsenault, is a real estate farce featuring Nicole Gour, Dan Hoff and Nora Judd. “Thank You, Auto Correct,” by Cynthia Arsenault, revolves around a young couple trying to impress each other by texting, with sometimes frustrating results. The cast includes Gour, Martin Dwyer and Collier.
Aug. 18’s offering is “Sunburned,” by Laurence Rosler, directed by Tiffany Kutsunai. This is a romantic comedy set in Greece and features Victor Lugo, Melissa Geiger, Topher Mann and Collier.
Felicity Johnson directs the Aug. 19 play, “Final Appearance,” a ghostly theatrical comedy, also by Rosler. The cast consists of Cornwell, Cruise, Dwyer, Hoff, Singer, Rich Mears and Amanda Trusty.
OPF XXIII closes Aug. 20 with “Aspects, a Restaurant & Lounge,” by John A. Donnelly, directed by Gour. This episodic comedy about relationships is enacted by Jenny Brown, Collier, Hoff, Gerald Lucena, Kerry Matsumoto, Gour, Evan Dooley and Kat Sullivan.
Each night of OPF XXIII staged readings begins at 7:30 p.m. at Aloha Theatre in Kainaliu. There will be a brief discussion at the end of each evening.
At 3 p.m. Aug. 21, APAC will host a free public wrap celebration on stage, honoring all festival participants. Those who have witnessed all the readings will vote on the “Opie,” a people’s choice award for best script of the festival. Awards for best director, actor and actress, will also be voted on.
Tickets are $5 per night, or $15 for a festival pass.
Info: 322-9924, www.apachawaii.org.