Stone's Throw Production Presents THIRD AND OAK: THE LAUNDROMAT by Marsh Norman 

Curated by Pacific Theatre's three 2019/2020 season apprentices, Feb Fest is a one act festival, including Third and Oak: The Laundromat by Marsha Norman, Nosegate written and performed by Chantal Gallant, and Here we Are by Dorothy Parker. The festival is light-hearted and varied exploration of the nuances of human connection: What does it take to connect meaningfully with a stranger? What happens when you use your voice? What does an enduring connection look like?

Nicola Shannon, PT apprentice and director of Third and Oak: The Laundromat by Marsha Norman, remembers studying the play in acting school several years ago: "there are some moments of real magic when these unlikely characters connect." This bittersweet comedy about love, loss and hope is set at 3:00 a.m in a laundromat in Louisville, Kentucky. Nicola says, "the story is so engaging because it comes across almost as a mystery play: why are these women doing laundry at this strange time? What are they hiding?"

Chantal Gallant, acting apprentice at Pacific Theatre, is both playwright and actor in her playful one-woman show, Nosegate. A few weeks after Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer files a complaint, citing discrimination and bullying in the workplace. The Unhuman Resource Department of Holiday Creatures has to step in for an internal investigation. Will the rest of the reindeer be able to defend themselves and keep their jobs, or will Christmas as we know it change forever? "It all started by looking at a familiar Christmas tune, 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer', under a new lens and realizing, Hey! There's more to the story here!" says Chantal. "It provides a comic framework to explore some tough topics like workplace discrimination."

A. Jade Munsie, also a PT acting apprentice, says "I love a good awkward situation and I love not talking about it! Dorothy Parker does a beautiful job in Here We Are tackling the subject of the unspoken thing, while adhering to her feminist agenda. She brings to light what we all try to hide when we're faced with the uncomfortable; the unfamiliarity of something different." Set on a train to New York City, a newlywed young man and woman traveling for their honeymoon find themselves faced with the reality of marriage, and the question arises: will they be able to survive together?

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