The Players Theatre Short Play & Musical Festival Accepting Submission for June

Artists are lucky because at least they have their imaginations to get them through these surreal times. The Players Theatre Short Play & Musical festival is encouraging all mandated shut-in writers to use this unprecedented time to be creative and submit a short play or musical for their 10th annual June Festival - NYC. Plays can be no longer than 15 minutes and must be on the theme: Only in New York. Visit: www.ShortPlayNYC.com for info on how to submit.

SPF celebrated the closing of the ninth year in February with three weeks of hot new plays that featured unique and sexy qualities. 15 writers from as far away as California participated in the festival of 15 minute takes on the theme "SEX"...risky, we know, but that's the fun! Each week a "Best of the Week" play was selected and awarded a $100 prize. Week one's honor went to Charles Murray's play Jack & Jill! The story follows Jill as she wakes up from a blind date, only to find Jack lying next to her in her bed. She can't remember going to bed with him, his name or anything about him. This story questions how much we know or care about the ideologies of the person we sleep with" The production was directed by Charles and featured Christina Eskridge (Jill) and Kevin Ralston (Jack).

Lawrence Kessenich's play, The Gift, was the week two winner. When your husband simply wants to give you a nice birthday gift...how are you supposed to say no? Well, when Carrie finds a hunky stranger named Ramon in her bedroom, it turns out that he's a birthday gift from her husband Scott. She is highly reluctant to accept this gift, but Ramon really IS a hunk and, after all, it was Scott's idea...The production was directed by Rui Dun and featured Kendra Mittermeyer (Carrie) and Mel Gonzales (Ramon).

And finally, Congratulations to Bailey Jordan Garcia's play What to Expect When You're Expecting Our Lord and Savior, was the audience pick for week three. Finding out you're "with child" is a shock to any relationship, but when it's your boyfriend telling you that he's suddenly become pregnant with the next reincarnation of Jesus, it becomes a tad more complicated. This queer tragicomedy looks at the intricacies in relationships and faithfulness. The production was directed by Marc David Wright and featured Timiki Salinas (Marcus) and Jamie Wygle (Joey).

The Short Play and Musical Festival (SPF) is presented three times a year. The June theme is NYC and the October theme is Horror! Submissions are currently open for the June festival - NYC! Visit www.shortplaynyc.com for details.