See nine plays in one weekend at PT PlayFest – a theater-lover’s feast, featuring winning one-acts by Jefferson County playwrights, open rehearsals of plays-in-progress, playwriting workshops, and more.
“Locals Weekend” (March 5-8) features the winning one-acts and precedes the jam-packed “Festival Weekend” (March 12-15), when three days of back-to-back events in two separate venues (Key City Playhouse and the nearby Pope Marine Building) will satisfy even the most voracious theater-goer.
PT Playfest is produced by Key City Public Theatre, now in its 57th season, whose mission includes “fostering artistic expression that entertains, educates and engages our community while developing an accessible and relevant theater that produces new works, contemporary plays and innovative interpretations of classics that captivate, challenge, and celebrate our audiences and artists.”
Local and National Talent Highlighted
Jefferson County talent will be showcased in premieres of six plays by the winning playwrights of the 2014 Port Townsend Arts Commission’s One-Act Play Competition: Deborah Daline, Doug Given, D.D. Wigley, Christopher Clow, Sandy Diamond, and Susan Solley. Three plays receive staged readings; three receive full productions.
[pictured above, from left-right: Deborah Daline, D.D. Wigley, Doug Given, Sandy Diamond, Christopher Clow, Susan Solley. Photo by Phil Baumgaertner.]
Two notable playwrights were also invited to spend a week in residence, workshopping their full-length plays in progress. AP Andrews brings Optimism, Or, a play about the courage it takes to love, the courage it takes to fall out of love, and the courage it takes to fall in love again. Sylvie Mae Baldwin brings skinny crazy small, the story of one quirky and strong-willed girl’s struggle with anorexia nervosa.
Each full-length play receives two staged-reading performances during Festival Weekend. These sandwich a two hour “open rehearsal,” where audiences can drop in and observe the artists at work on the play.
Workshops and Full-Length Play from Special Guest Doris Baizley
KCPT’s featured guest playwright this year is Doris Baizley, who will join audiences on the night of Friday, March 13th to attend and discuss her full-length play Neel Beaux, which tells the story of two women from Philadelphia, born two centuries apart, both battling to find their place in the art world. Directing the play will be KCPT Artistic Director Denise Winter who comments, “I’m excited about Neel Beaux because it tells the story of two artists who come into their own at completely different times in their lives. Its a perfect story for Port Townsend, in particular, because we have so many artists here that are hitting their artistic strides at different ages.”
Baizley is a founding member of LA Theatre Works and has worked at the Mark Taper Forum as resident playwright for the ITP Company for young audiences and as dramaturg for the Other Voices Program for theater artists with disabilities. Her plays, Mrs. California, Tears of Rage, A Christmas Carol, Guns, and Shiloh Rules have been performed in theaters across the country.
Doris will be teaching two workshops during festival weekend – a free playwriting workshop on Saturday, March 14th from 10 a.m – 1 p.m. and a fee-based playwriting intensive on Sunday, March 15th from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Both workshops take place at the Pope Marine Building in downtown Port Townsend.
Saturday’s free workshop, generously sponsored by the Port Townsend Arts Commission, is for new and experienced writers. Baizley will concentrate on writing exercises to discover voices, places, actions, and events that can inspire ideas for dramatic storytelling and playwriting — with an emphasis on “play.” Attendants are encouraged to bring lots of paper, writing implements, and a willingness to let go. To register for this free workshop, please e-mail boxoffice@keycitypublictheatre.org or call 360-385-KCPT.
Sunday’s fee-based playwriting intensive, geared towards more experienced writers, will focus on dramatic problem solving, developing work, and exploring new ideas. Writers are encouraged to bring sample pages of work in progress or ideas for new work for reading, discussion, and exercise writing. Participants will receive personal attention but should be prepared to participate in group exercises to stretch, explore, and inspire new work. Register for the workshop ($75) at www.keycitypublictheatre.org or at the playhouse box office, 419 Washington Street, 360-385-KCPT.
More info and tickets
All events occur at either Key City Playhouse (419 Washington Street) or at the nearby Pope Marine Building (Water & Madison Streets). For a full schedule of events go to keycitypublictheatre.org
The $35 Festival Pass grants access to all performance events both weekends. Writers Passes are $95 and additionally include the playwriting intensive taught by Doris Baizley.
Single show tickets and passes are available online at keycitypublictheatre.org or at the playhouse box office, 419 Washington Street, 360-385-KCPT.