Thursday, May 7, 2009
11th Annual Festival of Independent Theaters announces plays and participants
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The 2009 Festival of Independent Theatres (FIT) is shaping up to be one of the most evocative and stirring yet with eight theater companies performing a variety of works including four new plays by local and formerly local playwrights (Jeffrey Schmidt, Edmund Penn, Clay Wheeler and Matt Lyle) an area premiere by local playwright (Brad McEntire) as well as one-acts by Caryl Churchill and Alice Gerstenberg.
Performing Arts Initiative, in association with The City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and the Bath House Cultural Center, presents the 11th annual Festival of Independent Theatres (FIT) on July 17 – August 8, 2009 in the theater of the Bath House Cultural Center. FIT tickets will go on sale in late June. Festival passes start at $49. Single tickets range from $12-$16.
The four-week play festival will feature eight one-act performances each less than 60 minutes in length. There has never been a FIT without Echo Theatre and Wingspan Theatre Company and this year is no different. Both companies return for the eleventh consecutive time. Last year’s newest participants, The Drama Club and One Thirty Productions both return this year as well. This summer’s FIT first-timers include Pegasus Theatre, White Rock Pollution, Rite of Passage Theatre Company and Audacity Theatre Lab.
FIT Managing Director David Meglino is enthusiastic about the roster of participating theaters and the variety of works they’ve selected to perform. He states, “We are elated to be working with so many great companies, both old and new. And it’s a huge honor to be premiering so many new works, including the world premier of Matt Lyle’s newest script. I think the best part is that each of this year’s scripts offer something surprising or a little unexpected. It should be really exciting to see it all come together.”
A complete listing of the participating theater companies and their plays follows. More information about the plays and the festival performance schedule will be released in the coming weeks:
- Arsenic & Roses, presented by Audacity Theatre Lab. By Brad McEntire (area premiere, local playwright).
- Overtones, presented by Echo Theatre. By Alice Gerstenberg.
- Under a Texas Canopy, presented by One Thirty Productions. By Ellsworth Schave (new play, Austin playwright).
- Know-No, presented by Pegasus Theatre. By Matt Lyle (new play, former local playwright).
- Angry Glances, presented by Rite of Passage Theatre Company. By Clay Wheeler (new play, local playwright).
- the old woman in the wood, presented by The Drama Club. Inspired by Grimm’s fairy tale. By Jeffrey Schmidt (new play, local playwright).
- Holy Rollers, presented by White Rock Pollution. By Edmund Penn (new play, local playwright).
- Seagulls presented by WingSpan Theatre Company. By Caryl Churchill.
Posted by Shawn
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Comments
rhaka Anonymous
This is the most white bread theater event in the southwest. It should be held in the plains of South Dakota. And each year it gets worse.
6 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
glbtequality Anonymous
Talk about playing it safe. And putting you to sleep all at once. Seems to be no cutting edge to this. More enjoyment on the shores of the lake would be found in picking up trash along the shoreline.
6 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
MarieChapelle Anonymous
They're kidding, right? THIS is what "independent theater" in Dallas is about? And how can Arsenic and Roses be an Area Premiere when it was done BY AUDACITY PRODUCTIONS at Flower Mound Performing Arts Theater (starring the brilliant Jeff Swearingen whose career I follow religiously)? It's on his resume for all to see: http://www.shane-arts.com/jeff.htm. Does "Area Premiere" mean within 10 miles or what?
6 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
sb0417 Anonymous
Dear MarieChapelle,
Has it maybe occurred to you that this is a repeat production of "Arsenic and Roses." With Jeff, appearing again? If you follow his career religiously, surely you would know that he is appearing in this very show, at this festival. Right?
And you people need to chill. This festival gives a lot of Dallas actors a chance to showcase their talent. Get over it.
5 months, 2 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Jason Rice Verified
sbo - I think her point is "Area Premiere" is misleading. I was part of the Flower Mound festival MC refers to.... ran across a recording of Arsenic (and the sound design I did for it) last night organizing my studio fwiw.
::a lot of Dallas actors
Don't you mean "a lot of the same Dallas Actors"
FIT has historically been very cliquish and closed, prone to "friends of the organizers and members" suddenly creating new "theaters" just in time for the festival deadline or "invitation only" applications. Last two years was the first time I saw real companies NOT completely dependent on the Bath House for venues (ProjectX) so I had hope....
Not so this year. Same players. Same posturing. Pegasus the lone established standout - but hurting for venues.
Same old "Festival of Bath House Dependent Theaters" with some companies that produce only once a year for this festival and others without so much as a DBA. Usually good work, but if it's your only shot... it better be, eh?
::(area premiere, local playwright)
And NO, sbo, Flower Mound is still in the same "Area"--- and Brad just changed names on Audacity so how's that "First Timer" status? Love him to death TM, but he was a longstanding part of the FIT-clique before his Dribblefunk/China tour.
Research, sbo.
I'm with glbtequality and rhaka above, any safer a lineup and they'd hand you training wheels at the "Will Call" desk.
5 months, 2 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
sb0417 Anonymous
All...I was in a bad mood last night and shouldn't have been posting. To his each his/her own...no harm meant. Cheers!
5 months, 2 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Jason Rice Verified
Good to hear. Does that mean you'll be sticking around to bicker with in an ongoing way? It's more fun with more weirdos.
5 months, 2 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
sb0417 Anonymous
Sure! At the end of the day, anything that brings about DFW theatre discussion is a good thing. :-)
5 months, 2 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Jason Rice Verified
Awesome....I somehow felt there was more pithiness than....go with it... pissiness behind that.
Let's get rid of that "Anonymous" status (maybe a human username??? - c'mon, we don't bite*) Beg the Peg oracle for help on those.
*Ok, ScoDo does, but we have downloadable restraining order blanks for him
5 months, 2 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
MarieChapelle Anonymous
I'd be thrilled to see Jeff in that show again, to be honest! My point was that I didn't see how it could be an area premiere since it's been done in the area.
AND I just wish that the FIT would do something a bit more cutting edge. Just a pretty blah line-up....
5 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
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