After more than two months of heats 120 Short and Sweet plays and over 700 actors, writers and directors, this ingenious and very short play festival, is coming to an end. The winning plays are in competition at the Depot Theatre this Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. The winners in the various categories will be announced at the end of Saturday night’s performance.
Last Swing (Winner of the 2017 WILDCARDS FINAL)
ITC presented by Flutterby Productions
Written by Kazuyo Kitada / Directed by Uma Kali Shakti
Cast: Kerry Foley and Claire Langsford
All the dialogue is absorbing, and has real emotional pathos. Rachel is a young mother, pushing the swing back and forth, at the local park. Magnificent drama, about living in denial. Rachel believes that her long dead child is sitting on the swing. Will Rachel be able to move from denial to grieving?
One Night Stan (Winner of the 2017 PEOPLES CHOICE FINAL)
ITC presented by Third Bite
Written by Adam Szudrich / Directed by Grant Wilson
Cast: Gina Cohen, Ally O’Brien and Emma Caldwell.
Gloriously funny dating experiences, madcap fun and wonderfully touching. Rachel, Holly and Marie are three women, who are all back into the dating game. Always at the same Italian Restaurant, their mystery date is Stan (Stanley) who is dating all three women.
Arthur and Marilyn (Winner of the 2017 DIRECTORS CHOICE FINAL)
ITC presented by Half Boy Company
Written By Jasper-Lee Lindsay / Directed by Danen Young
Cast: Meg Hyeronimus and Alec Ebert
Clever tribute to the romance of Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller in the 1950s, with delicious fictitious dialogue. We learn exactly how Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller met. The production features a smokey haze effect caused by the cast smoking a seemingly infinite amount of herbal cigarettes.
Dead Giveaway (top 80 Week One)
By Daniel Guyton / Directed by Felicity Burke
Cast:- Duncan Armitage and Felicity Burkek
In an unconventional Valentine’s Day gift, Robert has paid for a funeral plot for two. The play delivers an awkward comedy about life, death, dying and permitted re-marrying choices.
Dress Ups (top 80 Week Two)
ITC presented by Grinning Sharks Productions
Written and Directed by Graham Yates
A drama unfolds, with the games people play with their lives, piece by piece. The mask gradually fades away, and a world of terror is revealed. The production features a superb, compelling performance by Garreth Cruikshank.
Painting Seventeen (top80 Week Three)
Written by Sharon Cooper / Directed by Alexander Andrews
Cast:- Lauren Lloyd Williams and Elanore Knox
A self-portrait painted on canvas by the artist Saskia, painted when the artist was seventeen. Today the self-portrait is talking with the now thirty year old artist. The play has beautifully written dialogue, charting her life story, revealed layer after layer. Both actors deliver charming and very believable performances. A very entertaining life story, delivered in under ten minutes.
Tapping Out (top 80 Week Four)
Written by Maura Pierlot / Directed by Cecile Payet
Cast:- Kaiya Bartholomew, Brayden Harry, Ethan Mestroni and Anton Smilek.
This was a winning dialogue driven drama and timpani musical piece, featuring the drummers’s tap tap tap of musical syncopation on assorted musical instruments in the percussion family. Wes is trapped in his mind palace, by reliving all the complex events that occurred twelve months ago.
A Dog Dreams (top 80 Week Five)
Written by Jeffrey Fischer-Smith / Directed by Jace Pickard
Cast:- Jack Dawson and Richard Lund
This was an interesting drama, that will take you on an unexpected trajectory. Recently deceased Mark tells his partner Andy, that the family dog needs to be taken to the local park so that he can grieve about him.
Out of the Woods (top 80 Week Six)
ITC presented by Everyday Monster
Written and Directed by Brenton Amies and Cam Ralph
Cast:- Brenton Amies and Cam Ralph
This was a very dark comedy featuring two former Children’s Television hosts who are meeting to resolve their past issues. One of the characters has unresolved anger management issues, and is still costumed and speaking as “The Fluffy Bear”!
Time Squad (top80 Week Seven)
ITC presented by Black Box Theatre Co.
Written by Alexander Cuff / Directed by Luke Berman
Cast:- Bradley Ward, Alex Groombridge, Sam Sweeting and Sam Lovell
This was riotous fun featuring two time travelling police agents. The play is filled with time one liners as they meet and greet past and future versions of themselves.
Will these four Time Travelling Police Agents, solve the Predestination Paradox to stop time unravelling?
Luke Berman has expertly directed nine minutes of never ending audience laughter. One of the best comedies of the Festival.
One Punch (top 80 Week Eight)
ITC presented by Ranting Mime
Written and Directed by Jessica Fallico
Cast:- Jacinta Moses and Anthony Thomas
This was a superbly written drama and message piece. A boy is the fatal victim of a cowardly one punch attack. After visiting the police morgue, his parents are still processing their terrible loss.
SHORT+SWEET GALA FINALS WEEK
7.30 pm Friday 17th March 2017 and 7.30 pm Saturday 18th March 2017 at the Depot Theatre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville, with on-site free car parking.
All photos by Robert Miniter.
Website:- http://www.shortandsweet.org/festivals/shortsweet-sydney-0
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Twitter:- @ShortSweetFest
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