Players Theatre Short Play Festival – NYC 2023 Reveals Week 3 Winner 

West Village audiences gathered together last weekend for the third week of The Players Theatre Short Play Festival NYC 2023, where they were left ready to take on the city with a new perspective. For three weekends during June, SPF NYC debuted five to six original short plays. This was Be Bold! Productions' 12th annual New York City-themed festival, which drew native New Yorkers and transplants alike to watch with an appreciation for just what it means to live in New York.

Last weekend's audience-selected winner was "Podunk", written by David Taylor Little and directed by Joseph Fusco.

This heartwarming and poignant play featured Tyson (Riley Fee) and Micah (Tanner Bolin), two men who are about to finish their first date when Tyson goes in for a kiss. Micah recoils, but not for the reasons Tyson initially thinks. Throughout the play, we discover that Micah is from a small "podunk" town and is not used to being able to be physically affectionate in public with other men. Micah is forced to take some time for introspection when Tyson tells him what life is like in New York.

"Podunk" was joined onstage by four other unique New York-themed plays.

"New York Yoga", written by Matt and Ariel Aliza Sanders and directed by Sean Prasso, featured a yoga guru (Rahul Gajasamharamoorthy) leading his hipster students, which included Matt Zhang and Nzingtha Smith, on a spiritual journey to help them learn the value of stress. Their learned mantras include "Go figguh", Geddoudahere!", and "Fuhgeddaboudit!".

Written by Jackson Bradshaw and directed by Anastasia Novak, "Unpacking" focused on Angela (Angelina Adam), a mother who is helping her adult child Sam (Noah Hinton) move into their first apartment. The two are confronted by all the unspoken conversations of their past, and Sam is able to help their mother understand their identity on a deeper level.

"Saving Funny Girl", written and directed by Charles Rix, follows couple Brett (Louis Gaudio) and Jake (Mattheus Brandao) as they try to make their way to a showing of "Funny Girl" on Broadway. Foiled by their transportation woes, they meet a mysterious stranger Ima Fabulous (Maria Agapi), who changes their plans and their lives.

"Romeo and Juliet Visit New York", written and directed by Risa Lewak, takes audiences on a time-traveling adventure when Romeo (Blake Williams) and Juliet (Elizabeth Wright-Williams) find themselves in New York City. Their opposing reactions to the city put their relationship in jeopardy as Romeo wants to return to Verona and Juliet wants to explore what it means to live in New York. Tyler Austin Williamson makes an appearance as a New York passerby.

The Players Theatre Short Play Festival will return this October with SPF Boo!, a collection of short plays embracing the spooky and macabre. Playwrights are encouraged to submit their 15-minute-or-less short plays at ShortPlayNYC.com by July 25, 2023.

To post a comment, you must register and login.