Theatre Review: Emerging Playwright Series

Ethel Winslow — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 06:09:17 +0000

A couple of years ago, Q Artistry decided to put on a Playwright competition. They got scripts from all over the area, which were judged by a panel of accomplished playwrights. Last year, Q Artistry hosted a series of readings of the finalists, and the audience got to vote on what they wanted to see produced. Three of their selections are now up and running at The Lodge in Irvington.
The offerings are Without a Spot or Wrinkle by Tiffany Bridges, Fishing With Seymour Drosty by Jordan Lyons, and God and the Machine, by Maureen O’Leary. On February 1, we got to see Fishing with Seymour Drosty, a 15 minute play that finishes the old joke “a man walks into a bar” with a twist at the end. Drosty (Dan Flahive) is a man with a fish story to tell, who persuades a stranger in town (Ben Scheutz) to accompany him on his next fishing expedition . . . and therein is the tale. Despite its brevity, Drosty packs an emotional wallop.
Also on February 1, we saw Maureen O’Leary’s God in the Machine, which she wrote while a senior in high school, and was the winner of the Teen Playwright competition. This futuristic story of prisoners struggling against an inhumane system while trying to retain sanity and humanity was beautifully directed and acted by the ensemble of Tiffany Bridges, Kristin Heintz, Jaddy Ciucci (who also directed), Arianne Villareal, and Janice Hibbard.
Without a Spot or Wrinkle is a humorous take on church life that was very well received by audiences during the playwright readings.
Supporting local, original works is easy when you have quality pieces to attend, and it’s a safe bet audiences will find something to enjoy (or at least think about) in these performances. It’s good to see strong, diverse talent on the stage at Q Artistry, and we can look forward to another Playwright’s Festival in September.
Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for seeing two or three. The series continues Feb. 7, 8 and Feb. 14 and 15. Visit www.qartistry.org for ticket information, or call 677-5317. Performances are at The Lodge, 5515 E.Washington St.

Emerging Playwrights Shine on Q Artistry Stage

Weekly View — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 06:10:21 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS — Local original works organization Q Artistry is presenting a series of one acts to open up their 2014 year beginning Jan. 31 and running through Feb. 15. The Emerging Playwrights Series features three plays by Indiana writers that were selected during the three previous Playwrights Festivals at Q Artistry.
Without A Spot or Wrinkle by Tiffany Bridges is a one act comedy about the pitfalls and triumphs of life in the church and was the audience pick of the 2012 Playwrights Festival at the Q. Featuring Tiffanie Bridges, BJ Bovin, Pat Mullen, David Marlowe, Dan Flahive and Arianne Villareal.
Fishing With Seymour Drosty by Jordan Lyons is a one act story of whimsy and humor about a young man finding himself amused and persuaded by an enchanting and eccentric regular at the local bar. The play was the audience pick of the 2011 Playwrights Festival at the Q. Featuring Kristin Heintz, Ben Schuetz and Dan Flahive.
God and the Machine by Maureen O’Leary is a futuristic one act depicting prison inmates in a totalitarian society and was the audience pick of the 2011 Teen Playwrights Festival at the Q. Featuring Jaddy Ciucci, Janice Hibbard, Kristin Heintz, Arianne Villareal and Tiffanie Bridges
This presentation kicks off the year for Q, as they roll out a full season of new pieces including: a new musical by artistic director Ben Asaykwee (Cabaret Poe, ZirkusGrimm) set to open in May entitled Attribute of the Strong; Bomb On A Bus by Paige Scott, a parody of the 1994 action flick starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves; East Side Story, A Qkids production parody of the famous musical with a similar name starring local kids matched up against professional adult actors in a singing, dancing, rumble through the streets of the east side of Indianapolis.
The new season also includes the return of audience favorites Cabaret Poe (Oct.), ZirkusGrimm (July), Monster Concert (Oct.) and Bunny Spectacular (April).
Tickets for the Emerging Playwrights Series are $7-$10 and can be purchased at qartistry.org or brownpapertickets.org as well as at the door for cash sales. The box office at Q Artistry is open one hour prior to every performance.
Not A Spot or Wrinkle will be performed Jan. 31, Feb. 8 and 14 all at 8 p.m. Fishing With Seymour Drosty will play Feb 1, 7, 15 at 8 p.m. God and the Machine shows are on Feb. 1, 7, 15 at 8:30.

Weekly View » emerging playwrights

Theatre Review: Emerging Playwright Series

Emerging Playwrights Shine on Q Artistry Stage