Nov 15, 2012
Here's a capsule look at the productions featured this weekend at the 2012 Theater Association of New York Festival at Genesee Community College (all performances are in Stuart Steiner Theatre in the Genesee Center for the Arts; tickets are available from the box office):
Friday night, following 7 p.m. opening ceremony.
“Love, Loss and What I Wore”
COMPANY: Little Theatre of Watertown, Watertown.
SYNOPSIS: A play of monolgoues and ensemble peices about women, clothes and memory covering all the important subjects — mothers, prom dresses, mothers, buying bras, mothers, hating purses, and why woman wear black. Written by Nora and Delia Ephron from the best-selling book by Ilene Beckerman.
Saturday morning, 9 a.m. to noon.
“The Six Realms of Pizza Delivery”
COMPANY: Harlequin Productions of Cayuga Community College, Auburn.
SYNOPSIS: The comedy chows down on the trials and tribulations of three pizza delivery workers and the unusual challenges these deliverers face, including dogs, brokens cars and strange — sometimes very strange — customers. The show, just performed in late October and early November, represented the world premiere of the work by Michael K. White. The show does contain adult language.
AWARDS: Meritorious achievment in ensemble acting, Matthew Ryan Limerick and Lizzy Fennessy; meritious achievement in scenic design, Virginia Fennessy.
“Wishes”
COMPANY: Hand to Mouth Players, Sullivan County.
SYNOPSIS: An original one-act play written and directed by Albi Gorn. A middle-aged couple from whom the ardor has cooled, find their passions reignited in a surprising way when the Wish Fairy grants them three wishes.
AWARDS: Excellence in the promotion and development of original works and new director, Hand to Mouth Players; excellence in acting, Dick Smith as Abe and Anne Rodgers Pearl as Ellie.
Saturday afternoon, 1 to 5:45 p.m.
“night, Mother”
COMPANY: Auburn Players Community Theatre, Auburn.
SYNOPSIS: An unsettling Pulitzer Prize-winning drama in which mother and daughter talking about the taboo topic of suicide. Jessie, the daughter, reveals that she’ll be dead by morning. Her matter-of-fact plans to commit suicide evolve into a deeper conversation about life and death.
AWARDS: Excellence in set design and set decoration, Navroz Dabu and Tracy Herman; meritorious achievement in direction, Bob Frame; and meritorious achievement in acting, Martha Petrosino as Thelma Cates, Jessica Cantu as Jessie Cates.
“Collateral Damage”
COMPANY: Everyone’s Theatre Company Inc., Rochester.
SYNOPSIS: Playwright George J. Bryjak, who attended the Festival last year, tells the story of Roger and Martha who talk about Roger’s mother’s struggle with her son’s military tours — she won’t answer the door fearing that it will bring a report of her son’s death.
NOTE: This show is not in competition and is being presented as a “Festival Company Featured Showcase.” The production earned high ratings from adjudicators so festival organizers wanted to include it, but as a company can not have two show competing it is considered a showcase.
AWARDS: Excellence in ensemble acting to Bryan Sanders and Robin Morris-Gaylord; excellence in direction, Billy DeMetsenaere.
“Dandelion Wishes”
COMPANY: Everyone’s Theatre Company Inc.
SYNOPSIS: A dramatic retelling of a relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter.
AWARDS: Excellence in direction, Imani Dodley; excellence in acting, Wednesday Mann as Kim; excellence in ensemble acting, Tonya Cannon, Stephanie Paredes, Annette Ramos, Mark block, and Richard Lawrence; meritorious achievement in playwright, Imani Dodley.
Sunday morning, 10:30 a.m. to noon
“The Lesson”
COMPANY: Confetti Stage, Albany.
SYNOPSIS: The one-act comedy by Eugene ionesco about an insane professor tuturing a brick-brained students helped usher in the Theater of the Absurd. The student cannot grasp even the most remedial aspects of mathematics and the professor’s growing exasperation leads to increasingly loopy teachings until their mutual rage ascends to a lethally deranged pitch.
AWARDS: Excellence in direction, Neilson R. Jones and Lucy Breyer; meritorious achievement in acting, Vivan Hwang.
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Selected, but unable to attend: Tibi Confidas Theatre Troupe of Scarsdale had its production of “The Compleat Works of Williamm Shakspeare (abrdiged)” selected for the festival. The company withdrew following Superstorm Sandy.
