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Curtain rises for Newmarket play festival Thursday

The Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays is Sept. 8 to 11 at the Old Town Hall
2023-08-21-One-act-plays
Waiting will be performed Friday, Sept. 9 as part of the Newmarket Festival of One Act Plays Sept. 8 to 11 at the Old Town Hall.

The Newmarket International Festival of One Act Plays opens Thursday, with four days of plays on the stage at the Old Town Hall.

The Very Useful Theatre Company presents the annual festival that features world and Canadian premieres from from playwrights across the English-speaking globe Sept. 8 to 11.

This year the festival received more than 85 entries from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and across the U.S., including some from past contributors such as Cary Pepper, and Jim Geoghan, who is well known for his comedies and is co-creator of Disney T.V's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

The festival also showcases young talent, with an added Sunday matinee show directed by Kira Rosenbloom who has written a play for it and ran a series of youth theatre arts workshops in the months leading up to the festival from which an additional short play was gleaned and will perform.

“It was not an easy process," said selection committee chair and winner of the best director award in last year's festival, Bruce Williamson, “but in the end we think we've chosen an excellent selection of plays that will offer patrons a most entertaining night out”.

Each evening consists of three one-act plays – two shorter plays of 10 to 20 minutes each, followed by a short intermission, and concluding with a 30 to 50-minute play, while the Sunday daytime matinee V.U.T.C. Youth Company show will follow a similar format, beginning at 8 p.m.

The Old Town Hall is at 460 Botsford St. Doors open at 7:15 p.m., and for the Sunday matinee, doors open at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. start.

For tickets, $20, $15 seniors and students, or full festival passes $60, visit the town website.

THE PLAYBILL

Thursday Sept. 8 

  • UG and the First Play Ever by Jim Geoghan
  • Directed by Dale Sheldrake
  • The Sun, The Moon, and Salena by Paul Pasulka
  • Directed by Ivana Obradovic
  • . . . . . . .Intermission . . . . . . . .
  • The Booth by Val Stulman
  • Directed by Joan Burrows

Friday, Sept. 9

  • Ahavah by Dana Hall & David Lipschutz
  • Directed By Mary Rose Talani
  • From The Membrane of the Nucleus by Peter A. Balaskus
  • Directed by Mary Rose Talani
  • . . . . . . .Intermission . . . . . . .
  • Waiting by Donna Sorbello
  • Directed by Amanda Dempsey-Laughlin

Saturday, Sept. 10

  • The Back Porch Gang by Ben Scranton
  • Directed by DJ Elektra
  • Death Does Larry by Cary Pepper
  • Directed by Bruce Williamson
  • . . . . . . .Intermission . . . . . . . .
  • 107 by Len Cuthbert
  • Directed by Claire Mooney

Sunday Sept. 11 

  • The VUTC Young Company presents A theatre for Young Audiences
  • Emotional by Kira Rosenbloom
  • Directed by Kira Rosenbloom
  • What If Covid Happened in the '80s
  • Deadly Scoop
  • Sets & Costumes Sara De Cesare