New Works Fest in Review

I managed to catch the first two nights of the New Works Fest so far, and I've really enjoyed it.Basically, the Fest features new works read aloud by actors with no sets, props or special costumes - you get to hear the original written work unfiltered. It's interesting to note that you quickly overlook (or forget) that the actors are reading as the story unfolds. Here's a quick recap of the Festival so far:

The first night featured three new one-act plays. The first was Wedding Bells by Adriana Echeverri, a clever short play that focused on the fears of a bride-to-be just before she walked down the aisle. Adding to her anxiety is her maid of honor, an ascerbic sister-in-law-to-be. Clever and fun, though a few rough spots to be worked out.

The second one-act play was Interrogation by M. A. Cantrell. It was the toughest to sell to the crowd, because it tackled a very serious subject - the ethics of torture. That's not an easy subject to cover in a short period of time, but it was effective, in no small part because of the fine work of the three actors.

The final one-act play was Lunch At the Fork n’ Finger by Marshall University Theatre alumni Jonathan Joy. It told the story of a man who goes to a restaurant to meet his mother and her new love interest - his former high school gym coach. It was very funny, told in the style of a Woody Allen film. In fact, it really seemed more suited to film, given the main character's asides to the audience, which forced the other characters to freeze in place. Still, a very funny play, and another strong outing by the prolific Joy.

Last night the audience heard a new screenplay: Serious Business by professional actor/director T. Michael Murdock. It told the humorous story of a team trying to shoot a film despite a never-ending series of mishaps and blunders. To keep the movie going, they turn to a local gangster for funding - and then things get worse. It sets up a group of likable (if clumsy) filmmakers, adds lots of entertaining characters, hilarious situations and an improbable planned heist (criminal masterminds these characters aren't). Oh, and lots of profanity (not that there's anything wrong with that). It's a very funny script, and someday, hopefully, it'll make a very funny movie. I do have one bit of constructive criticism for Mike (that's right, Murdock, I'm talking to you - I see you out there glaring at your computer screen with that hideous Yankees cap on). I suspect when Mike wrote this movie he had in mind putting together a low-budget comedy that could be shot locally - and if so, he succeeded - it's very funny but staged in such a way that it would be (relatively) easy to shoot cheaply and quickly without hurting the story or losing any laughs. However, if he wants to sell it to a major studio, he may need to rework it a bit to make it "bigger" (in other words, make some minor changes without worrying about breaking the budget). Otherwise, a very funny script - I think this kid's got what it takes.

Tonight - well, I'll talk about that in the next post.