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

 

Script Submissions for the Winter Strawberry One-Act Festival. Deadline: October 30, 2014

Submisions for Plays, Musicals and Staged Readings for the Strawberry Theatre Festival. DEADLINE: October 30, 2014

The Riant Theatre's Strawberry Theatre Festival will be at the Hudson Guild Theatre on 26th Street in Manhattan from February 11, 2015 - February 22, 2015
, and is now accepting submissions for Full Length Plays (between 55 - 90 minutes) and Musicals (not to exceed 120 minutes), Short Plays (40 minutes - 50 minutes) and Staged Readings. Plays selected for the festival can perform between 3 - 5 performances and elect to share a percentage of the box office by paying a theatre usage fee between $1 - $9 per ticket to receive 10% - 100% share of the box office. To download an application go to www.therianttheatre.com or email us at RiantTheatre@gmail.com. The deadline to submit an application is October 30, 2014. Late Submissions deadline is November 14, 2014. The participation fee for the STF is $400 for plays received by October 30, 2014 and $500 for plays received after October 30, 2014. The participation fee for Short Plays is $350. All submissions are done by email.

Also seeking submissions for the Strawberry One-Act Festival (February 11th - February 22nd) for plays with a running time from 15 minutes - 30 minutes. Plays can advance from Round 1, Semi-Finals, Finals and the Awards Show & Performance. The judges for the Finals will consist of (2) Artistic Directors, (1) Agent and (1) Casting Director. The 4 Best Plays will perform at the Awards Ceremony on February 22nd and have the option to do an Encore Performance at one of our Partner Theatre Companies. The participating fee for plays accepted into the festival is $300 for plays submitted by Octboer 30, 2014 and $350 for plays received after October 30, 2014, which includes: an on-camera interview for your play, inclusion in our mailing brochures and the Riant Theatre Review Magazine, (1) ticket to our Launch Party and Screening of the Video Diaries Project: A Series of Short Films about the artists in the Strawberry One-Act Festival; (1) comp ticket whenever your play is performed, (1) ticket to the Awards Ceremony. The winner of the Best Play receives $1,500. Awards are given to Best Play, Best Director ($200), Best Actor ($150), Best Actress ($150) and Best Short Film - The Video Diaries Project ($250). Some plays will be selected for publication in the anthology The Best Plays From The Strawberry One-Act Festival. All Submissions must be done by emailed. Deadline October 30, 2014. Deadline for late submissions is November 14, 2014. Download an application at www.therianttheatre.com (There is no sharing of the box office for the One-Act Festival.). 

The Strawberry One-Act Festival Summer 2014 Awards were presented on Sunday, August 31st at the Theatre at St. Clement's, 423 West 46th Street, NYC.

And the Winner are....

LIKE A LADY By Jorge Franco IV (BEST PLAY AWARD)

CHAUNCEY ALAN for Like A Lady (BEST DIRECTOR AWARD)

 


TOMMY SCHUTZ for And Baby Makes Three (BEST ACTOR AWARD)

 

ELOISE EDWARDS for Like A Lady (BEST ACTRESS AWARD)