Review: NEW STAGE PLAYERS 2026 COMEDY PLAY FESTIVAL at Grange Hall Cultural Center

Nine original short comedies are served up with a slice of laughter on the side at the New Stage Play Festival, featuring local actors and directors in the Grange Hall Cultural Center’s black box theatre in Waterbury Center.

The hilarity starts in “the room where it happens”, that is, the office where the figures of speech we all know, love or wonder at, are approved for circulation to the general public in A New One by David Carkeet, directed by Monica Callan. Curiously, the characters have numbers instead of names. Linda Iannuzzi as “37” manages the assessment of a proposed “new one” with impressive comedic timing and flair, with outstanding support from veteran actor Adam Cunningham as “12”, Meredith Vaughn as “44” and the bewildered but “all in” intern, played by the talented Lila Stratton.

There are more office antics to tickle your funny bone in Talk Like a Pirate, written by Keith Whalen and directed by Bob Carmody; and Precipice written by Alex Dremann and directed by Bridget Edwards. Notably, Susan Loynd’s performance in Love, Lysol & Other Delusions by Brian Brijbag, as a wise, been-around-the-block cockroach (yes, you read that right) is a standout as she blends wry humor with humanistic reflections on domestic relationships.

Susan Lerner’s Alarmed, directed by Jeanne Beckwith, features the delightful Cynthia Seckler as a homeowner whose house alarm is set off by a bold and bustling burglar, played with alacrity by Lila Stratton. Dustin Spence as the befuddled policeman is an effective foil for Seckler and Stratton in Lerner’s bustling slapstick comedy.

In On Golden Pond Break, by Rick Boyle and directed by Bob Carmody, a retired couple’s beach vacation takes a turn for the fantastical as the husband, played persuasively by David Lagala, achieves mastery as a surfer in the blink of an eye. The astounded wife, played by the vivacious Mary Scripps, must deal with the consequences of her husband’s surfer status as a “ripper”.

Many of the actors, all local to northcentral Vermont, play several roles. The indefatigable Adam Cunningham, who is most often found on-stage or directing in Vermont, said “It’s been a tremendous amount of fun and a huge challenge to play three different characters whose arc must be traversed in ten minutes. It’s also exciting to work on new material, particularly plays that are so well-structured and depict vivid, and hilariously unique, situations”.

Presenting a total of nine plays, the Festival features original plays by Vermont playwrights Rick Boyle and Kevin McElroy and David Carkeet, as well as New York playwrights Susan Lerner and Keith Whalen, Alex Dremann from Pennsylvania, Brian Brijbag from Florida, Rand Higbee from Oregon, and Michael Waterson from California. 

Local directors include Jeanne Beckwith, Rick Boyle, Monica Callan, Paul Calvaliere, Bob Carmody, Bridget Edwards, and Roger Keller. Produced by Grange Theatre co-founder Monica Callen with technical direction and lighting by co-founder Peter Holm, with the support of stage manager Mo Seivwright and assistant stage manager Mary Woodruff.

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Scenic Design - Top 3

1. Dane Laffrey - The Lost Boys

37.9% of votes

2. Soutra Gilmour - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

13.2% of votes

3. Scott Pask - Schmigadoon!

11.1% of votes

Vote Now! View Live Stats