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.
