Talented playwrights compete for hundreds of dollars in cash prizes in this popular annual competition of short plays. For four weeks, a different program each week of short plays is presented. Each week, the audience votes for a favorite. On the subsequent three weekends, the winners compete against each other for a grand prize of the largest cash award. The grand prize winner and runners-up are also selected by the audience.

At this particular performance, the following three plays ran:

Libraries are Exciting Places By Anthony Arnold. Directed by Kylie Delre. Staring Matt Shea and Lena Milan.
This quant little one act starts meekly in a quite library on a rainy day. Two lonely quirky singles bumble into each other's paths. While pleasant enough for the first ten or 15 minutes, the play feels stalled, until the nervousness breaks the surface and hesitant, yet potent emotions kick in. From that point, strongly to the end, the play commandingly entertains. The actors have great presence, timing, chemistry. A treat. (Don't tell anyone, but I voted for this one.)

Ewe Gotta Have Friends By Norman R. Brillant. Directed by Taylor Ashbrook. Starring Geoffrey Rivas, Erin Treanor, RJ Farrington.
I'm a big fan of puns, but that may have worked against me. I used to write a comic strip for my college paper with corny puns like these. My readers could barely survive three frames of such punishment -- I sympathized with them after 30 minutes of "EWE gotta have friends." That said, probably 25% of these wince-able one-liners where actually quite clever. Still, it was all about the pun and very little more. I liked the smoking detective though -- nice lighting, good costumes.

Show of Affection By Laurence Klavan. Directed by Brad Wilcox. Starring Judy Nazemetz Steve Peterson Samantha Hale, Adam Briggs.
Here again, a mere writing exercise. Some good dialogue in spots, but ultimately, a SNL skit with no meat, despite the bite, and only mildy funny. The last moment or two with just mom and dad actually had some interesting mood to it though. And the woman who played mom was wonderful.

Overall, I love the concept and would enjoying seeing another set of Hurricane entries. What a great opportunity for writers.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --