October 25th, 2004
By Jude Campbell
For two nights, the stage at Actors Studio will be a mass of raw energy, jangled nerves and a lot of behind the scenes butterflies.
Four unsung writer/directors will make their debut when the house lights dim, essentially launching the inaugural One Act Festival of original plays.
“It’s an all-out experiment, a first-time for everyone, an opportunity to mix with other first-time directors and writers, and hopefully have a lot of fun doing it,” explained organizer Nate Flavel.
Virtually a live theatre version of ‘Indie’ films, the festival is intended to encourage and support new talents in the community who haven’t been involved in this aspect of theatre before.
Four one-act plays (three original, one in its second-time presentation) have been selected for the festival, which will be adjudicated both in public and privately after each performance.
“For our first-time around, getting four plays is just fine,” Flavel said. “These ladies are real crusaders. They’re learning a lot about theatre, everything from casting and directing, to lighting, cues and blocking. It’s a whole meal deal for them.”
Stepping into the limelight will be Linda MacBeth, directing her original play, Butterfly; Marlena Morton, directing The Universal Language; Fathers and Sons written by Helen Kaulbach and the Scent of Honeysuckle, directed by Donna Brayshaw.
Sharing their ‘how-I-got-involved’ stories, the four women admit to being excited and seriously challenged in taking on the director’s role.
“I wrote Butterfly just before the entry deadline,” explained MacBeth, “I’ve never directed, never been involved with a theatre group before this. It’s a huge challenge, especially resisting the urge to re-write after you see the effect that body language has onstage.”
Her play, billed as a warm and funny drama, deals with parent/child estrangement, forgiveness, acceptance and healing.
“I begged, borrowed, stole and bribed my cast,” she added with a laugh, “At one point, I wrote in a character who now seems to have taken over the whole play. It’s gone in a different direction.”
MacBeth studies art direction and scriptwriting at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, and as a first-time playwright adds that she’s “excited about the opportunity this festival offers.”
Brayshaw, who has acted in numerous local productions, decided to try her hand at directing a touching story about aging parents.
“I got involved by buying a bunch of plays, inviting my friends to read them over some wine and cheese, and then when we picked this one. Then I shanghaied them into being in the play,” she said.
“Being a director is very challenging, but the bonus is that you also can do what you like with the play,” she said. “I added three extra non-speaking parts. It’s being able to create your vision of the play.”
Scent of Honeysuckle takes a tender look at having to move an aging parent out of their familiar, memory-filled home and into a care facility.
“It’s very relevant today, and I see it everyday, how it affects people, how it affects families,” Brayshaw added.
Fathers and Sons also looks at family and relationships, spanning six decades in the lives of a father and son.
“I wrote it as a memorial to my own father,” explained Kaulbach, who has seen her play on stage once before, and was even paid royalties — “a take of the house, a whole .”
“The play takes place every ten years by the side of a fishing stream where the two of them talk about birth, death, marriage, divorce, everything that life is about.”
Adding a little bizarre spice to the festival will be the play Universal Language, directed by Morton, a graduate of performing arts schools in Victoria, Edmonton and Red Deer.
“This is the first time I’m directing a play that I won’t receive a school mark for,” she said. “It’s a bit bizarre, a little scary play that doesn’t make a lot of sense, so that’s the challenge in presenting it to the audience.”
Focusing on a lonely girl who meets the creator of a new language meant to unite the world, the play looks at how the two characters ultimately come to understanding and communicating in the language of love.
The festival will wind up with a gala dinner, dance and awards presentation.
“We’ll be presenting The Jesters, an orignal handcrafted plaque in each of the winning categories,” Flavel explained.
He added that the festival was instigated to “stretch the envelope, give people the opportunity to explore their talents.”
“It’s a first-time event, so we’re pleased to have four serious entries, and we hope to have appreciative audiences,” he added.
“The reality of it is, we expect maybe 25 to 50 people, but that’s OK. It’s not about the money, it’s about education and the arts.”
Randy Leslie, artistic director of Actors Studio will serve as adjudicator for the performances, with a focus on the positive elements of each play.
“Aside from directing our large musical dinner theatre productions, I really felt the need to branch out and offer an opportunity for growth and development in local talent,” Leslie said. “This is an excellent chance for performers, writers and designers who don’t normally get the opportunity to work on local stages, to explore as a team in a supportive environment.”
“It’s a great opportunity to mix, to experiment and to improve,” Flavel added. “And have fun doing it.”
The first annual One Act Festival takes place at the Actors Studio Oct. 21-23, with tickets available at Communitix.
