The creative works of three new playwrights are hitting the 91原创 Little Theatre (LLT) stage this month.
Under the new umbrella of Playstorm Drama Festival, which follows the similar premise of the former Siloam Festival, emerging playwrights an affordable opportunity to stage their works.
This year, the festival will run as the final component of the LLT's 2024-2025 season of theatre, instead of as as a partnership with an outside entity, explained founder and organizer Darcy J. Knopp.
"We found, after the previous festival, a change in the structure was needed to bring integration between the needs of the festival and the resources of the club, hence the new name," said Knopp, who is also a playwright contributing one of the shows to this year's billboard.
LLT started accepting submissions late last year, and Knopp confirmed this year's festival will feature five original shows.
Each show will be performed five times during the course of the festival, which runs from Wednesday, July 16, to Saturday, July 26.
This year's line-up features a wide range of theatrical offerings including "My Friend Fritz" by Mairy Beam. This play tells the story about how a lonely senior citizen enters the fray of climate activism thanks to befriending a human-sized talking rat.
"Beings," by Judith Betzler, is a solo-performance piece that chronicles odd incidents in a woman's life that suggest she is being watched from beyond.
"A Silly Sort of True," by Dawn Adamson, is an absurdist comedy, Knopp said. "A chance meeting between strangers at the Marzipan Cafe leads to a ridiculous explosion of sketch comedy scenes that begin to take on a life of their own."
"Royally" is by Elyse Maloway.
Described as a love letter to Ozark and Breaking Bad, this production is about a birthday party princess who finds herself in "precarious financial circumstances," forcing her into a "different" kind of work.
And, "Canadian Content," by Knopp, introduces Ivan. This character is a Canadian writer, so how is it possible that his latest play got rejected for not being Canadian enough? He reluctantly employs his self-absorbed buddy and their disgruntled bartender to help him fix it in what Knopp dubs a "alcohol-fueled romp."
Three of the playwrights are first timers, while both Beam and Knopp have a few titles under their belts.
Similarly, the performers feature stage-tested veterans on the community theatre scene, alongside some new additions to the 91原创 Little Theatre stage.
"I'm really looking forward to this year's festival," Knopp shared with the 91原创 Advance Times. "I think our audience will enjoy the cornucopia available to them and just the enthusiastic buzz around the theatre."
He's also excited for the bonds that will be formed from participating in the festival.
"When you gather that many artists together in one spot, it sparks this fountain of creative energy and inspiration," he said.
"Things on this year's stage will spur ideas that get turned into future projects. It's also a great place to scout talent for company's traditional season of theatre plans, so if you are a director or a show-runner, come take a peek and see who might fit into your next project," Knopp concluded.
Single tickets are $15 per show, or guest can save a few bucks and get a festival pass for $50.
There are two shows each night, at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. between July 16 and 26, with an additional matinee at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available through a link on the LLT website at .
