Catch PlayFest’s Local Authors, Actors and Directors at Their Best

Friday-Sunday, May 6 – 8, 7:30 p.m., The Grange

— from Aaimee Johnson —

“Never Coming Back” by Cali Bagby

The Actors Theater of Orcas Island/s 11th Annual PlayFest opens Friday, April 29 on The Grange stage. The following seven short plays will be brought to life—the culmination of local Orcas playwrights, Orcas directors, and Orcas actors. This year brings several new faces out to share their talent.

“Never Coming Back” written by Cali Bagby, directed by Lin McNulty and starring Andy Martin, Maura O’Neill, Rebecca Cuzens-Sutton, and Indy Zoeller. “Never Coming Back” gives us a look inside the mind of a patient undergoing psychiatric counseling. Cali writes: “NPR recently ran a story about a soldier who would not discuss his PTSD, but would only talk about a demon following him. The play is about the manifestation of traumatic events and how they shape our lives. “Never Coming Back” is also inspired by the soldiers and Marines I embedded with as a freelance journalist in 2009 and 2010. I hope this is one small glimpse into the aftermath of war.”

“The Road to Tranquility” written by Jackie Bates, directed by Tom Fiscus and starring Cali Bagby and Kevin Doyle. The path to that tranquil place in life can have a lot of twists and turns. Jackie writes: “Last winter I found myself driving through Moran Park, swearing like a sailor and shouting out of the window like a New York City cab driver. While I was dodging deer and road repair equipment and raising my blood pressure, I was missing all the beauty and soul-soothing magic the park has to offer—just because I was running late.”

“Boede Family: History in One Act” written by Janet Brownell, directed by Gillian Smith, and starring Jason Dean, Annika Truebenbach, Jeremy Reinertson and Matt Howe. Meet the Boede family — the place is a small log cabin on Orcas Island; the time is one hundred and ten years ago. Janet writes: “The “inspiration” for this one act was really a favor.  Carol Kulminski, board member on the Orcas Island Historical Museum, had been talking to Orcas Center phenom Jake Perrine about directing a short 10-minute play that could highlight the Museum and be performed at potlucks/gatherings on the island.  The hope was to bring awareness to the Museum and the Boede cabin, which is part of the building. Jake sent Carol to me as a writer. I said, “sure.” She sent me history on the Boede family, and I did additional research.  When I was finished with the one act, I sent it to Jake and Carol. Jake had subsequently become engaged with another project, so Carol (without my knowing) sent it into the PlayFest competition. So what started out as a piece to promote the Museum at potlucks has now been beautifully realized on the Grange Stage. Funny how life works out that way.”

“The Sounds of Silence” written by Kathi Ciskowski, directed by Bev Leyman and starring Alyssa Flaherty, Chris Dalla Santa, Regina Zwilling, Adia Dolan, Rebecca Sutton and Indy Zoeller. After moving to the mainland to revitalize their marriage, Rose and Roger return for a surprising (as it turns out) hike on Orcas Island inspired by the new book, “100 Secret Silent Places to Visit in Washington Before You Die.” Kathi writes: “I am very happy to be a participant in the Actor’s Theater of Orcas Island PlayFest for the second time. An intriguing line from Chekov; a highly anticipated wilderness hike which didn’t turn out quite as expected; and a prompting from the protagonists of last year’s play (The Certified Letter) inspired me to write “The Sounds of Silence.”

“Saint Lora” written by Adia Dolan, directed by Lynda Sanders, starring Liz Doane, Melinda Milligan, and Pat Ayers. After coming home from her mother’s funeral, Amy experiences different aspects of grief when she is visited by her mom one more time. Adia writes: “I was going through pictures of my past the other day, when I came across a video of my mom singing a Susan Osborn song. The lyrics “Grateful is the heart for the chance to be Alive” inspired me to write this play, as a reminder to myself and anyone who has lost someone close to them. That permanence is real, and it happens when we impact someone else’s life, we become the chain of life un-ending.”

“This Play Was Written in Sand” written By M.L. Thomas, directed by Aaimee Johnson and starring Audrey Nedderman, Mandi Johnson, and Margot Van Gelder. A glimpse into the life of a woman trapped in a deserted world; briefly comforted by bittersweet memories of her little sister. Maggie writes: “I wanted to write something fantastical that felt similar to an ancient myth. Fantasy has a great capacity for ambiguity, and I like that it often coerces its audience into projecting logic or meaning drawn from their own experiences. I wrote this play with the experience of myself and those closest to me in mind, but I wanted anyone to be able to relate.”

“Salutation, Valediction” written by Indy Zoeller, directed by George Zimbelman and starring Lin McNulty, Tony Lee, and Aaimee Johnson. Francis and Oliver only met during the last chapter of their lives, but they find common ground as they stare at the stark reality of the Long Goodbye. Between bouts of banter and card games in their retirement home, the two friends contemplate the possibility of ending their lives before they lose the capacity to choose for themselves. Indy writes: “I have no idea why I wrote this. I guess it seemed like a good confluence of comedy and drama that could reasonably be done in ten minutes. The story isn’t something I have anything remotely approaching personal experience with, so it’s more a case of “flexing my creativity” and trying to write outside of my comfort zone.”

The plays will be presented at the Grange on Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30 and Friday-Sunday, May 6, 7, and 8. There will be a free dress rehearsal that is open to the public on Thursday, April 28.

Tickets are $10 and all performances begin at 7:30 p.m., with doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door, at Darvill’s Bookstore or online. No one is ever turned away from an Actors Theater performance at the Grange for inability to pay.