THE BEAR, EVERY TIME Wins Best Play At The Queen's Short Play Festival

"The Bear, Every Time," written by Carrie Keating and Co-directed with Alyson Schacherer, has won Best Play at the Queen's Short Play Festival.

In this surreal dark comedy, a woman finds herself with a bear in the woods after choosing the bear as her response to the viral question, "Would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or a bear?" Together they grapple with the question and her answer. "The Bear, Every Time" resonated with audiences throughout its festival run with its humor, thought-provoking narrative, powerful themes, and dynamic cast.

The final round of performances consisted of eight of the festival's top performing plays, selected from the festival curator's chosen 60+ plays that ran at The Secret Theatre from February 12th to March 9th. A panel of judges voted alongside the audience to declare "The Bear, Every Time" the winner. This festival marks the first public showing of the play's development.

"The Bear, Every Time" featured Sydney Mayo (The Woman) and Alex Correia (The Bear) in performances that were uproarious and poignant. Correia won the festival's Best Actor award for his portrayal of The Bear.

Keating and Schacherer's collaborative direction balanced nuanced story-telling with visually stunning moments. Henry Evans, the play's magic consultant, added an element of illusion and wonder to the piece.

"The Bear, Every Time" will continue its development in Pittsburgh as a part of the Genesius Theatre of Reading 2025 Staged Reading Series and come back to NYC for an August presentation at the NYPL with the Equity Library Theatre.
The creative team also has many other projects in the works. Alyson Schacherer in pre-production for the film adaptation of Tobie Gene Levingston's memoir "Soul on Bikes" about the first all Black, all Harley Davidson motorcycle club in Oakland, CA. Carrie Keating and Henry Evans have been named 2025 Artists In Residence at Saltonstall x Hupstate, where they will develop a new work for stage featuring magic and illusion.