The Cape Breton Stage Company hits the streets of downtown Sydney for its three-day outdoor theatre festival

For three evenings, Thursday to Saturday, August 4 to 6, three different open air sites become stages for six original productions, all starting at 6 pm, as the Cape Breton Stage Company hits the street for its annual outdoor theatre festival.

At the splash fountain end of Wentworth Park, Calvin and Lisa and the Fairy Queen, written by Kristen Woodford and directed by Kimberly Charron, is presented. Encountering a bevy of fantasy favourites (including fairies, wood elves, an ogre and evil magical queen), Lisa, Calvin, and his trusted dog Rover must work together to find her true love/his twin brother Timmy. Audience participation is welcomed.

At the Business Development Bank of Canada parking lot, 275 Charlotte Street, behind the Canada Post outlet, there are three shows: The Collector, written by Wesley Colford and directed by Ken Chisholm; Two Interesting Facts, written by James FW Thompson and directed by Jason Burke; and The Teacher Monologues, compiled and directed by Mindy Carier.

In The Collector, a young university student approaches a man on a park bench because she thinks he would be an interesting subject for a class writing project. Just how interesting he is remains to be disclosed.

James F. W. Thompson’s plays have earned a reputation for being funny, twisted, and dark and Two Interesting Facts offers that and some surprises not to be revealed.

The Teacher Monologues is a compilation of monologues about the experiences of actors who have decided to pursue teaching. Each monologue represents an individual’s questions, challenges and experiences navigating this new terrain.

At the Scotia Bank parking lot are two shows: Waiting for Nobody Really, written by Anna Spencer and Jenn Tubrett and directed by Anna Spencer and Alison Crosby, and Violent Village, written and directed by Nicole MacDougall.

Waiting for Nobody Really is two interconnected monologues, mostly comedic with a serious edge–one about wondering who you are and the problems of posers, and the other about being late during pregnancy.

Nicole MacDougall, whose street festival entry last year was the hilarious Promicide, offers a funny, violent, romantic comedy fairie tale this year with Violent Village.

Admission is pay-what-you-can and all proceeds will be donated to the Transition House.