Be Bold! Productions Reveals Week One Winner Of LUV 2025 Short Play Festival 

West Village audiences celebrated the first week of the month of love with the opening of the 13th annual Players Theatre LUV 2025 Short Play Festival. Each weekend for three weeks in February, a new selection of 15-minute original plays premieres to celebrate love in all its forms.

Last weekend's audience-selected winner was "The Last Supper", written by Michael McGuirk and directed by Joseph Fusco.

The play features nervous groom Tom (Joseph Fusco) and his best man Russ (Michael McGuirk), who are less than an hour away from Tom's wedding. Tom gets cold feet, and with a hilarious pep talk (and a little manipulation), Russ might just get Tom out the door in time for his nuptials. "The Last Supper" was joined by four other funny and poignant love-themed one-acts.

"Dinner With Darius", written by Darlene Elizabeth Joiner and directed by Alan CordoBa-Diaz, begins with Nora (Darlene Elizabeth Joiner) waiting at a restaurant to finally meet the man she has been virtually dating. Her waiter James (Kevin Richard Best) begins speaking with her and tries to keep her spirits up as her date is continually and unbelievably delayed. The bartender Bethany (Holly Souchack) has been keeping an eye on the situation and is angry on her behalf. Will Darlene's date finally show up, or will she be swept off her feet by a more present man?

"Little Things", written Grace Schofield and directed by Anastasia Novak, features Milly (Isabel Kissel) and Marvin (Yale Langworthy), who are exchanging gifts for their two-year anniversary. When Marvin gives Milly a thoughtful gift, Milly realizes that she might not be as committed to the relationship as he is. Will they stay together, or is this the end?

"Playlist/Cooking with Butter", written by Annie Brown and directed by Julia Gaudioso, follows Maggie (Marlee Jones) and Kat (Jackie Romankow) as they work through their feelings by discussing a playlist and singing along to their favorite tunes. Meanwhile Connor (Austin Gebhardt) makes a hilarious appearance as a rapper whose song is accidentally played in the car by Siri, a song that represents the problematic attitudes some men hold towards women.

"Our Favorite Son", written by Risa Lewak and directed by Johnny Culver, introduces audiences to Lizzie (Sasha Henriques), who is tidying up the apartment she shares with her boyfriend Andy in anticipation of meeting his parents. When they arrive, Andy's mother Marilyn (Laurie Sammeth) and father Fred (David Mackler) seem to go out of their way to say the most insulting and inappropriate things to Marilyn as possible. Do they genuinely dislike Marilyn, or could this possibly be a test?

The Players Theatre LUV 2025 Short Play Festival continues this Thursday through Sunday with Week 2, which will present five brand new love-themed plays that are sure to delight and seduce audiences!

The festival takes place at The Players Theatre:

115 MacDougal Street, 3rd Floor in the Steve and Marie Sgouros Theatre

Week 2 Plays, February 13 - 15 at 7pm, February 16 at 3pm.

Baby Grand, by William Zolla II

Goodnight I Love You, by Aladen Gulmohamad

Valentine's Day 2015, by Julia Genoveva

AIDEN, by Jacob Iglitzin and Clay Herzberg

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