Orlando Shakespeare Theater and UCF join forces each year to produce a four-day festival of new play readings, presented by Harriet Lake’s Charitable Trust.
Playfest readings include:
Skin and Bone by Jacqueline Goldfinger | Thursday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Directed by Katrina Ploof | Comedy
Twin sisters Midge and Madge run a broken-down B&B that has a date with a wrecking ball. When a young woman appears, searching for clues about her missing mother, the memories she stirs up send them all down the dark and dusty road of a past better left hidden.
CAST: Kate Ingram*, Elizabeth Murff, Kathryn Miller, Kevin Zepf
Man in Snow by Israel Horovitz | Friday, November 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Directed by Francisco Solorzano | Drama
As he escorts a group of honeymooners up Alaska’s highest mountain, a climber reflects on his deceased son, his despondent daughter, his trying marriage, and his life as a whole.
CAST: Jonathan Epstein*, Ginger Lee McDermott*, Jennifer Bonner, Francisco Solorzano*, Terrence Yip, Al Krulick*
Thyramus and Pisbee by Eric Hissom | Saturday, November 7 at 4 p.m.
Directed by Michael Marinaccio | Comedy
Chaos and hilarity ensue during a last-minute rehearsal before a performance for the King. Fast-paced and raucous, this comedy upends our preconceptions about William Shakespeare, his actors, and his genius.
CAST: Simon Needham*, Jay T. Becker*, Gemma Victoria, Brett Waldon*
The Adventures of Pericles by Ellen McLaughlin | Saturday, November 7 at 8:30 p.m.
A Modern Verse Translation of Shakespeare’s Play | Directed by Jim Helsinger
Adventure, love, betrayal, murder, jousts, hurricanes, princes, prostitutes, and pirates all appear in the exciting adventures of Prince Pericles. A new modern verse translation of Shakespeare’s exciting story.
CAST: Sid Solomon*, Melanie Whipple*, Paul Bernardo*, Mark Brotherton, Fredena J. Williams*, Chris Metz, Mindy Anders*, Lucy Carney, Rick Stanley, Stephen Lima, David Lowe, Kody Grassett, James Putnam, Jacob Valleroy, Sarah Summerwell, Kimmi Johnson, Austin Ryan Hunt, Corynne Wagener
Relativity by Mark St. Germain | Sunday, November 8 at 1:30 p.m.
Directed by Cynthia White | Drama
A reporter interviews Albert Einstein, revealing shocking secrets about his family, his past, and the theory of relativity.
CAST: Eric Zivot*, Suzanne O’Donnell*, Meghan Colleen Moroney*
Sam by Donnetta Lavinia Grays | Sunday, November 8 at 5 p.m.
Directed by Lisa Wolpe | Drama
Ten-year-old Sam and her drug-addicted mother arrive unexpectedly at her aunt’s Brooklyn doorstep. Decaying family bonds, playground rhymes, and shocking memories weave their way to a surprise ending.
CAST: Shannon Springer, Holly E. Smith, Topher Embrey, Trenell Mooring*, Sheryl Carbonell
The Luckiest People by Meridith Friedman | Sunday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Directed by Christopher Niess | Drama
What is our responsibility to our parents? Richard is forced to grapple with that question in the days following his mother’s funeral. Meanwhile his father, Oscar, has growing suspicions over the circumstances of his wife’s death that lead him to make a startling accusation against his son. The Luckiest People explores the great dichotomy of the father-son bond: a relationship of profound awe and unparalleled fear.
CAST: Mark Ferrera, Alexander Mrazek, Jill Jones, Joseph Reed*
Tickets for PlayFest start at $8 for individual plays and can be purchased at orlandoshakes.org or by phone at 407-447-1700.
