Center For Performing Arts Of Bonita Springs Announces Line Up For Stage It! 2 Ten-Minute Play Festival

Ten plays from the second annual Stage It! 10-Minute Play Festival will premiere at the Center for the Performing Arts of Bonita Springs Saturday and Sunday, April 28 and 29. The event in includes a Book Release Party to celebrate the publication of all the winners.

A total of 206 plays were received from around the nation, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and England. A total of 21 judges from the U.S. and Canada came together online to critique the plays. Upon tabulating those results, 50 plays moved to the semi-final stage, 30 plays have been selected for publication and 10 were chosen to be presented at the Festival. 135 playwrights vied for a chance to be published and/or produced for the Second Annual Stage It! Ten-Minute Play Festival.

Each play was critiqued by two of the 21 judges from across the country and Canada. Thirty plays were selected for publication in the STAGE IT! 2 Ten-Minute Plays book that will be released on the opening night of the Festival. Ten of the plays will be performed on both evenings and an "Audience Favorite" will be selected by the patrons attending. The plays will be performed by CFABS community theatre performers. The local actors collaborate with Center staff to take the stage at the Moe Auditorium and Film Center, presenting a broad range of topics and styles ranging from absurdist comedies to heartfelt dramas.

Festival Plays and Cast

A Lively Outfit by Jeff Dunne, Eldersburg, Maryland, directed by Gary Obeldobel
Frank......................................................Jim Corsica
Theo.......................................................Eduardo Marin

The Bull of Queens by Brian Scanlan, New York, New York, directed by Frank Blocker
Prologue/Reporter/Master........................ Karen Ezrine
The Bull................................................. Mickey Lacroix
Bull 2/Cop 1/Witness.............................. Lena Neal
Bull 3/Cop 2/Reporter-on-the-street.......... Leon Liu

Cancelled by M. Rowan Meyer, Woodside, New York, directed by Jim Corsica
Dominic................................................. Lin Hart
Geoff..................................................... Eduardo Marin

Cuckoo by James Pfrehm, Homer, New York, directed by Leslie Sanderson
David..................................................... Bob Stabile
Kat........................................................ Laura Schueneman
Chris...................................................... Luis Pages

Danny, Major and Mills by Denise Hinson, Sugar Land, Texas, directed by Dee Betcher
Mills....................................................... Emma Smith
George................................................... Kip Jones

Ebook Meets Treebook by Rex McGregor, Auckland, New Zealand, directed by Laura Schueneman
Woman.................................................. Kathryn Huffer
Man....................................................... Luis Pages
Ava........................................................ Kayleigh Campo
Pip......................................................... Eduardo Marin

Love, In 10 Minutes by Jim Flores, Hacienda Heights, California, directed by Kayleigh Campo
Man....................................................... Gary Obeldobel
Woman.................................................. Jenene Dulaney

No Problem by Lela Chesson, Rocky Mount, North Carolina, directed by Kayleigh Campo
Louise................................................... Cindy Hile
Partha................................................... Leslie Sanderson

Swans by William Newkirk, Celebration, Florida, directed by Lin Hart
Sarah................................................... Debbie Rockwell
Emily.................................................... Kristen Noble
Brian.................................................... Luis Pages

Sheep! by J. Gulotta, New York, New York, directed by Frank Blocker
Sheep 1............................................... Melissa Hennig
Sheep 2.............................................. Jenene Dulaney

The judging panel included playwrights, directors, screenwriters, professional actors and editors from New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago, Boston, New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Naples. Cheryl King, of Stage Left Studios in Manhattan and California said, "I'm sorry I'm so far away. I want to direct these." Lela Chesson, winning playwright for No Problem, said, "It takes special time on the part of others to make the critique sheets available to us. I'm grateful for meaningful information."

Centers for the Arts is planning to expand the short play format and include "Funny Shorts" programs as part of a regular series next season which will include many other plays published in the book.

The Festival takes place on April 28 & 29, Saturday night at 8:00 pm and a Sunday matinee at 2:00 pm.

Other plays included in the publication:

• ANNA THE K by Don Lampton of Palm Coast, FL
• AROUND AND AROUND AND BACK AGAIN by Dean Morton of Wilmington, NC
• BROTHERS ON A HOTEL BED by Elisabeth Giffin Speckman of Indianapolis, IN
• BUNNIES AND WOLVES by Elspeth Tilley of Wellington, New Zealand
• DEATH ON THE INTERNET by Ellie Svoboda of Golden, CO
• DECORUM by Judd Lear Silverman of Brooklyn, NY
• DO VEGANS EAT JELLO? by David Ratcliffe of Lewisville, NC
• FOOD DUDE TALKING FOOD by Don Lampton of Palm Coast, FL
• THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BOWSER by Dan Borengasser, Springdale, AR
• HOW'S YOUR FIRST DAY GOING? by S. L. Daniels of Chicago, IL
• I'M DEAD WHEN I SAY I'M DEAD by Ron Pantello of Longboat Key, FL
• MY DREAM HUSBAND by Nancy Rose Ostinato of Celebration, FL
• NAKED PLAYER by Don Salvo of Celebration, FL
• ON A WING AND A PRAYER by Judd Lear Silverman of Brooklyn, NY
• PRAYERS IN THE PINES by Lindsay Partain of Milwaukie, OR
• REST ASSURED by George M. Johnson of Kamloops, BC, Canada
• SECRET DREAMERS by Ed Friedman of New Rochelle, NY
• TAKE CARE by Andrew Thierfelder of Redford, MI
• THE WINDSOR CON by Paul McCormick of San Francisco, CA
• WELCOME TO AFTERLIFE by Eric Weil of Elizabeth City, NC

The following plays were selected for Honorable Mention

• CLEANING THE GARAGE by Bonnie Dudovitz of Minneapolis, Minnesota
• OCEAN DEBRIS by Cassandra Hsiao of Walnut, California
• NO MORE CHEERS by Linda LaRocque of South Haven, Michigan
• CAMOUFLAGED NAILS by Anthony L. Mariani of Little Rock, Arkansas
• FOLLOWERS by Ethan Warren of Norwell, Massachusetts
• NORMAL SHNORMAL by Ian Patrick Williams of Studio City, California
• MONUMENT by Jane Willis of Brooklyn, New York

Tickets are $12 and can purchased in advance at the Centers website or by calling 239-495-8989. Performances are April 28 at 8:00 pm and April 29 at 2:00pm in the Moe Auditorium and Film Center on the Centers for the Performing Arts campus at 10150 Bonita Beach Road.

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