Page-to-Stage Festival

We have a lot of exciting things happening with our page to stage festival. You can read the details here…..or just scroll to the bottom and see the complete schedule. (Our calendar also lists events by day.)  As usual, tickets can be purchased at www.arttix.org.                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Page-to-Stage Festival

Wasatch Theatre Company and the Utah Association of Regional Theatres Bring Original Plays to the Utah Stage

What do you get when 13 local playwrights, 8 local theatre companies, 7 directors, a bunch of actors and a tech crew get together? Wasatch Theatre Company’s Page-to-Stage Festival. Presented in partnership with the Utah Association of Regional Theatres (U-ART), the Page-to-Stage Festival, featuring the 10^th annual Short-Shorts Program, highlights the collaborative theatrical process from beginning to end. For those looking to expose themselves to the playwriting process – and for those looking for a night (or weekend) out to celebrate and enjoy the gamut of human experience, the Page-to-Stage Festival has much to offer.

Short-Shorts

For the Short-Shorts program, directors sorted through the dozens of scripts that had been submitted throughout the year and chose the ones that were most ripe for production. As with past festivals, the featured shorts vary in style from realistic to absurd; they also vary in mood from hysterical to tense to poignant.

In Overexposure, written by Dave Sanderson and directed by Rob Luckau for Proletariat Theatre, a mother (Kathy Lee) is shocked and dismayed when she discovers her daughter’s (Jessa Brocklebank) new apartment is actually a small stage, with an actual audience privy to her every move.

A similarly-themed Stand Up, written by George Plautz and directed by Jacob Bruner for Holladay Arts, features actors (Jeremy Jonsson, Michelle Masefield) and their talking couch (Matt Whittaker) transcending theatre conventions and calling out the playwright, even as their director (Bijan J. Hosseini) looks on.

A teacher (Barb Gandy) and a mother (Gwen de Veer) share their perspectives on interacting with and raising a young boy (Bijan J. Hosseini) with a unique affliction in Greg Near’s The Mysterious, Happy life of Brown Bag. This short is directed by Lane Richins for Pygmalion Theatre.

Hello, Sweetheart, written by Eileen Bartscher Cox and directed by JC Carter for Around the Globe Theatre, finds two people with a past relationship reconnecting after a chance encounter in a diner. Darryl Stamp and Brooke E. Bartlett star as the almost-forgotten, could-have-been/maybe-they-were lovers.

Music.Poem.Music by Elaine Jarvik and directed by Candace Christensen and Cristina Caputo for Avalon Isle Theatre, stars Holly Braithwaite and Jodi Reese as sisters grappling with their father’s dying wishes.

Local Boy Done Good, written by Chad Armitstead and directed by Darryl Stamp for People Productions, finds two Utah natives on very different sides of an ideological argument after a chance meeting.

Special events:

Following the Friday, September 10^th production of Short-Shorts, the audience is invited to stay for a reception with the playwrights and actors. Likewise, audiences are invited to stay after the Friday, September 24^th production of Shorts for an actor panel, where participants will talk about their experience working with the scripts and collaborating on the festival.

The Fables Project

Playing in conjunction with the Short-Shorts program is The Fables Project, an output of Wasatch Theatre Company’s playwriting group. Over the past several months, a group of playwrights (led by Megan Crivello) met together and crafted short plays that are contemporary updates of Aesop’s fables. The transportation of these classic tales to modern times reveals the truth and longevity of each of their morals. Under the direction of Mark Fossen, a troupe of actors (Julie Benedict, JJ Peeler, Jesse Peery, Missy Hill, and Jeffrey Owen) plays multiple roles throughout six fables, with narration and exposition offered by Tom Goldsmith. The Fables Project features the writing of Dave Sanderson (Steve Scorpio and the Frogg Sisters), Brandon Oveson (All Hail the Bean King), L. Isabella Iasella (Shake-up; A Peacock Revolution), Megan Crivello (Skin Deep), Jim Martin (Panopticon), and George Plautz (To Take You To The Heights). Sam McGinnis serves as stage manager for the production.

Special event:

Audiences are invited to stay after the Friday, September 17^h production of The Fables Project for an actor and playwright panel, where participants will talk about their experience working with the scripts and collaborating on the final production.

Workshops

The public is invited to attend two free workshops as part of the festival. The first (Saturday, September 11 at 1:00 p.m.) is a playwriting workshop led by Utah Playwrights Megan Crivello, Karrie Ann Ogilvie, and George Plautz. Participants will learn the fundaments of composing engaging stage plays.

The second (Saturday, September 18 at 1:00 p.m.) is an auditioning workshop led by JC Carter and Bob Easton from Around the Globe theatre. Participants will learn tips for creating memorable auditions that position them to get the parts they want.

Staged Readings

An exciting part of the Page-to-Stage program is the opportunity to listen to and then provide feedback about emerging works from local playwrights. Staged readings will be held on the three Saturdays of the Festival at 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. The scripts being featured during staged readings this year are: Slide Rule by Paul Birkbeck, Eine Lange Reise by Megan Noyce, and Juan Bob Casanova by Robert Easton. Staged readings are directed by Dan Christensen for Babcock Readers and Sam McGinnis for Wasatch Theatre.              

Cabaret

Following the Saturday evening performances, audiences are invited to stick around, grab a drink, and enjoy the After Dark Cabaret.  Performances will include singing, dancing, acting, and instrument playing.

The Important Details

The Page-to-Stage Festival opens Thursday, September 9^th and runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through September 25^th. Special events (including workshops, staged readings, and the After Dark Cabaret) are also featured throughout the day on Saturdays. There are also playwright receptions and actors’ panels following Friday night performances. All events take place in the Studio Theatre at the Rose Wagner (138 West 300 South). The complete schedule is below.

Tickets for the Short-Shorts Program and The Fables Project are $15.00 each and can be purchased at www.arttix.org or by calling 801-355-ARTS. Admission to the workshops and staged readings is free. The cabaret performance is included with tickets to the Saturday evening performance.