The Musical: ELAINE STRITCH: STILL HERE Kicks Off The Strawberry One-Act Festival February 11th & 12th at the Hudson Guild Theatre in NYC

By Kristopher Karcher

For 20 years now, the Riant Theatre’s Strawberry One Act Festival has worked towards our mission of providing a nurturing environment to develop new plays and outstanding artists, and this winter’s festival is no different. The 2015 Winter festival features talented playwrights who write unabashedly about incredibly deep topics we might not bring up over dinner. This year’s festival dares to ask questions such as “What is normal?”, “How much revenge is too far?”, and “What are the boundaries of human love?” Series A, which opens the Festival on February 11th and 12th at 7 P.M. features plays with varying topics including death, getting old, adultery, and missed opportunities. Here’s a little glimpse into what to expect from our opening series:

The first play of the series, Elaine Stritch: Still Here by Jay Malsky, is a one woman show honoring the late Elaine Stritch, who passed earlier this year. The play follows Elaine in her later years performing at venues like The Carlyle and The Liberty as she monologues and sings her way through scene after scene. The script indubitably captures Elaine’s comic bite and beautifully celebrates the life of a Broadway Legend. 

A New Home by Harvey Huddleston follows another woman reflecting a bit more on what it’s like to age. Recently moving his ninety-year-old mother out of his childhood home, a middle aged man aids her in her transition to an assisted living facility. Huddleston eloquently captures the fear of growing old combined with the longing for an earlier life. This play is sure to make you value your life for what it is now.

Following A New Home, we will premier Swindled by Nikki Pope. This play asks the age old question: If you found out your partner was cheating what would you do? Would you tell your spouse you know? Would you try to come up with some kind of revenge? What if it was your best friend? It is very possible that you may handle this situation a bit differently than these character’s do in Pope’s emotional drama.

And rounding the home stretch, the last play of the series, Exit Interview by Tom Delgado, looks into the life of a proud and happy business man and asks, “What is missing?” In preparing to fire another coworker, Dave looks back at his early life and wonders if things would be different if he took a more artistic path. What would you do if you thought you sold out?  Don’t miss out on these shows or any others! Tickets for Series A and all others can be purchased at the www.therianttheatre.com or by calling 646-623-3488. 

FEBRUARY 11, 2015 – FEBRUARY 22, 2015
AT THE HUDSON GUILD THEATRE
441 West 26^th Street, NYC

Click Here For Tickets