The 2016 One-Act Play Festival will take the stage at the Boardmore Playhouse from March 10-13, with show times at 7pm nightly, and Sunday, March 13 at 2pm. Named after Elizabeth Boardmore, the festival provides an opportunity for the many players of the theatre–playwrights, directors, technicians, actors and more–to showcase their talents on the big stage, and gives the public a chance to see several quality productions from numerous theatrical styles.
“The festival this year will feature six new plays by student and local writers,” says Todd Hiscock, Boardmore Theatre Director. “This group of new plays is likely the most diverse in terms of subject matter and age of the playwrights – first year CBU student to senior citizen writing about life and death. This year’s festival is a testament to the Boardmore Theatre’s strong connection to CBU students and Cape Breton’s theatre community.”
The Festival opens Thursday, March 10 with The Machinists, written and directed by Mark Delaney and A Cauldron Of Unholy Loves , written by Don Nigro and directed by Ian Green. Friday it’s After She’s Gone, written by Sandra Dunn and directed by Carolyn Dunn, and Baby Blues written by Jonathan Lewis and directed by Ida Steeves. Scatarie Island written and directed by Wayne McKay and Damned written by Paul Bishop and directed by Mike McPhee take the stage Saturday while Sunday’s productions start in the afternoon with Balcony, written and directed by Aravind Bharathy, and Unity 2016, a production of DRAM 3106 Acting Class. The Festival Achievement Awards and closing reception are being held on March 13 in The Pit Lounge following that evening’s plays.
This year’s festival is adjudicated by Lucia Frangione, an award-winning playwright and actor, who lives with her eight year old daughter in Vancouver, BC. She’s written 25 plays and has performed on many major stages across Canada. She teaches playwriting at Langara College and has created two online courses hosted by Rosebud School of the Arts. Frangione is also a drama editor for Talon Books and does freelance dramaturgy. A recipient of the Gordon Armstrong Award, the Sydney Riske Award and the Stage West CAEA emerging artist award, she has trained at Studio 58 and Rosebud School of the Arts and is a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada and Canadian Actor’s Equity
Show tickets are available at the CBU Playhouse Box Office, Monday to Friday from 1-5 pm and one hour before show time. The box office will open one week prior to performance and during the week of the production. Tickets are $15 general; $10 students and seniors; and $8 CBU students. One-Act Festival Passes are also available: $48 general, $32 students and seniors, $25 CBU students.
