ACTC "New Play Festival" Interview #2

  Taking the stage this weekend is the ACTC New Play Festival, which will feature 10 student and faculty written plays (short scenes, monologues, ten-minutes, one acts).

   Here's our second interview with the directors of the show - this time, let's hear from the talented Sarah Diamond Burroway: 

Q: Tell us about the upcoming festival.

Sarah: This is the first-ever New Play Festival at Ashland Community and Technical College. The works that are being presented are the result of a playwriting class taught at the college last fall by Jonathan Joy. The Festival will showcase 10 short plays, monologues and scenes written by ACTC students, by Joy and by Mary Shortridge, an associate professor and published writer who also took the playwriting course to brush up on her skills.

Q: Which plays are you directing?

Sarah: I'm happy to direct two pieces in the Festival. The first is a short scene, "Tammy and Tom" by Jonathan Joy. It features actors Anna Baker and Jason Kretzer. It's a play about a woman asking a man out for a date, which seems pretty straightforward, but Tom's list of demands complicates the process for Tammy.

I'm also directing a short play written by student Chelsea Fannin called "Strange Things Happen." Actors Kate Morris and Tyler Bradley are cast as two strangers who find themselves stuck together in an unlikely circumstance that leads to both labor pains and laughs.

Both pieces are comedic works, which I find enjoyable to direct. I hope the audience will like them, too.

Q: Why did you want to be part of this event?

Sarah: I've wanted the opportunity to work with Jonathan Joy for a while and we both work at the college, so when he asked me to direct a couple of the pieces, I was thrilled. A few years ago, I was involved in the production of two new works: "Albert's Hall" and "Here Lies Allen Chase," both by playwright Jason McAllister. I really enjoyed working to create original characters, staging stories for the first time.

I think it is important to promote the work of local writers. Without local contemporary plays, short stories and other writings, the voice of our generation of Appalachia will not be heard. There is a wealth of talent in our region. We need to find a way to showcase it, to capture what's important to us now. This New Play Festival is one way we can ensure that happens. Plans are already in the works for the 2015 New Play Festival.

Q: Is it tough putting these plays together in such a short time?

Sarah: The casts I am working with are wonderful to work with. The actors seem to be having fun creating the characters and telling these stories for an audience for the first time. Originating a character and having the opportunity to work directly with some of the playwrights is something not a lot of people in community theatre get the chance to do. I really love it.

The process actually started last fall, with the students in the playwriting class. From first draft to revision to final draft, that process has involved a lot of effort on the part of the writers in consultation with their writing professor. I actually came to the project late in the game, beginning work last month. As far as actual production time goes, it has been about the same as the time it takes to produce a traditional dramatic or comedic play.

Q: Why would you recommend this to our readers?

Sarah: The New Play Festival at ACTC offers 10 distinctly different short plays. Some of them are funny. Some are serious. A couple of the plays will be presented as staged readings, with most being blocked and performed in the traditional sense. These plays offer fresh looks at a variety of topics: parenting, personal relationships, self- discovery, new beginnings, revenge, and more. The Festival is sponsored by the ACTC Division of Humanities and will feature performances by students in the college's vocal music classes as part of their final project for the semester. There will be something for everyone.

Q: Tell us when and where the show will be offered.

Sarah: The New Play Festival at Ashland Community and Technical College is one weekend only: April 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. and April 27 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are only $5 for the public and $2 for students (ACTC and MSU-Ashland). Performances will be staged in the J.B. Sowards Theatre on the main campus of ACTC, located at 1400 College Drive, Ashland Ky. I hope to see you at the New Play Festival!

One more thing: The playwriting class by Jonathan Joy is being offered again in the fall semester at ACTC in several formats: a traditional face-to-face course and a completely online course. For more information on registration visit http://www.ashland.kctcs.edu/Admissions/Contact_Us.aspx

Thanks, Sarah!