This year marks the first year Cayuga County can celebrate its own writers in a festival just for them as they spin tales like yarn and draft dialogue that flows like water.
Jason Rearick / The Citizen
Loose Ends Theater stages works by local playwrights at Auburn Public Theater
Loose Ends Theater stages works by local playwrights at Auburn Public Theater
The Short Play Festival will highlight the theatrical talents of seven playwrights who live within the county's borders.
“Well, a lot of our friends in Onondoga and Seneca (counties) submitted plays for similar events but we never had an event in Cayuga,” Bourke Kennedy said. “What better place to sponsor original works?”
Kennedy co-founded the theater group, Loose Ends Little Theatre Company, which is producing the festival. She also is directing all eight pieces.
The group received two dozen submissions and carved it down to eight plays by seven writers, who are spilt into two age categories - senior citizens and teenagers.
Kennedy was thrilled with the submissions, although some were in the format of essays rather than plays. They accepted the interesting scripts easy to translate to the stage.
“We thought that was a wonderful response and that is encouraging us to do this again,” Kennedy said.
Lyn Stone, 70, majored in journalism in her college years. Now that she's retired, she has time to devote to writing.
A member of her church told her about Loose Ends and its festival, which motivated her to finish the short piece she was writing about the confusion sparked by Sept. 11, 2001, and the Iraq War.
She lived in the small town of Briarcliff Manor, just north of Manhattan, when the terrorist attacks happened. In the wake, she heard people whispering “I don't understand what's happening ... ” Later she heard similar lamentations after the United States invaded Iraq.
She's excited to see her play “I Don't Understand” on stage.
“This is really new to me. It becomes your baby,” she said. “I really can't wait to see how the (actors) portray it.”
The festival will focus on the writings and dramatic interpretations. There will be select pieces of furniture and a few props used during the performances.
“We need to shift through eight pieces so we might move a chair here or a table,” Kennedy said.
Again, simple costume design is key. Designers will pile certain clothes or accessories on top of the actors' basic T-shirt and pants.
The five actors, too, have to make smooth transitions as they drift through the scenes. This gives the actors opportunity to try out a few of their personalities, Kennedy said with a laugh.
Performers will read dramatically a couple of the pieces rather than act the scenes.
The crew involved is excited and already are looking forward to next year's event.
“There are a lot of creative people out there and (the festival) gives them an outlet to express themselves and it shows the community what talented people there are in the county,” said Vienna Farlow, 16.
Farlow wrote a comedy that will be featured called “Just Say Cheese,” about two wedges of cheese and a magic bottle of sangria. She is a junior at Southern Cayuga High School.
The Loose Ends Little Theatre Company boasts a rehearsal facility but teamed with the Auburn Public Theatre to use APT's stage. The APT, which is only hosting the play festival, can seat 100 people.
The audience is encouraged to remain in the theater after the plays to have a dialogue with the actors and writers.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be contacted 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
If you go
What: The Cayuga County Short Play Festival, sponsored by the Loose Ends Theater Company
Where: The Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St.
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and Friday, Sept. 22, and Saturday, Sept. 23
Cost: $10 general, $8 admission for seniors and students, tickets
available at the door or Lewis' Restaurant in the Westside Plaza in Auburn
For details: Call 253-4315
“Well, a lot of our friends in Onondoga and Seneca (counties) submitted plays for similar events but we never had an event in Cayuga,” Bourke Kennedy said. “What better place to sponsor original works?”
Kennedy co-founded the theater group, Loose Ends Little Theatre Company, which is producing the festival. She also is directing all eight pieces.
The group received two dozen submissions and carved it down to eight plays by seven writers, who are spilt into two age categories - senior citizens and teenagers.
Kennedy was thrilled with the submissions, although some were in the format of essays rather than plays. They accepted the interesting scripts easy to translate to the stage.
“We thought that was a wonderful response and that is encouraging us to do this again,” Kennedy said.
Lyn Stone, 70, majored in journalism in her college years. Now that she's retired, she has time to devote to writing.
A member of her church told her about Loose Ends and its festival, which motivated her to finish the short piece she was writing about the confusion sparked by Sept. 11, 2001, and the Iraq War.
She lived in the small town of Briarcliff Manor, just north of Manhattan, when the terrorist attacks happened. In the wake, she heard people whispering “I don't understand what's happening ... ” Later she heard similar lamentations after the United States invaded Iraq.
She's excited to see her play “I Don't Understand” on stage.
“This is really new to me. It becomes your baby,” she said. “I really can't wait to see how the (actors) portray it.”
The festival will focus on the writings and dramatic interpretations. There will be select pieces of furniture and a few props used during the performances.
“We need to shift through eight pieces so we might move a chair here or a table,” Kennedy said.
Again, simple costume design is key. Designers will pile certain clothes or accessories on top of the actors' basic T-shirt and pants.
The five actors, too, have to make smooth transitions as they drift through the scenes. This gives the actors opportunity to try out a few of their personalities, Kennedy said with a laugh.
Performers will read dramatically a couple of the pieces rather than act the scenes.
The crew involved is excited and already are looking forward to next year's event.
“There are a lot of creative people out there and (the festival) gives them an outlet to express themselves and it shows the community what talented people there are in the county,” said Vienna Farlow, 16.
Farlow wrote a comedy that will be featured called “Just Say Cheese,” about two wedges of cheese and a magic bottle of sangria. She is a junior at Southern Cayuga High School.
The Loose Ends Little Theatre Company boasts a rehearsal facility but teamed with the Auburn Public Theatre to use APT's stage. The APT, which is only hosting the play festival, can seat 100 people.
The audience is encouraged to remain in the theater after the plays to have a dialogue with the actors and writers.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be contacted 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
If you go
What: The Cayuga County Short Play Festival, sponsored by the Loose Ends Theater Company
Where: The Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St.
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and Friday, Sept. 22, and Saturday, Sept. 23
Cost: $10 general, $8 admission for seniors and students, tickets
available at the door or Lewis' Restaurant in the Westside Plaza in Auburn
For details: Call 253-4315
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