American Repertory Theater of WNY to Present Local One-Act Showcase, 7/24-8/2

The American Repertory Theater of WNY is celebrating the 10 year mark of the Buffalo Infringement Festival by bringing back the Local One-Act Showcase to be presented at ART in the Box, 16 Linwood Avenue, Buffalo NY 14219. Showdates and times are July 24th (Thursday)-7:00 pm-9:30 pm, July 25th (Friday) 9:00 pm-11:00 pm, July 26th (Saturday) 9:00 pm-11:00 pm, July 31st 7:00-9:30 pm, Aug 1st (Friday) 9:00 pm-11:00 pm, Aug 2nd (Saturday) 9:00 pm-11:00 pm. Suggested donation of $10.

ART/WNY founder Matthew LaChiusa was one of the several original organizers for the first couple of Buffalo Infringement Festivals and to celebrate 10 years of success has opened the ART in the Box performance space with the return of the Local One-Act Showcase as well as providing a forum for other theatrical productions scheduled for the festival. "I can recall when we were struggling to find spaces to perform theater pieces." Said LaChiusa. "After the success in finding a performance space for ART/WNY, I wanted to give back to a festival that didn't see the same support in the early days. I'm glad to see the festival reach this level of success and here's to the next 10 years."

The featured playwrights include Mark C LLoyd, who has been part of ART/WNY's one-act showcase with his work SEE THE SCREAMS, humorous MOON GLOW (directed by ART/WNY alumni Gail Golden), Maura Nolan debuts her work of a Millennial in Love entitled CYCLIC TROUBLE: Choices in Three Episodes. CHIVALRY ISN"T DEAD...FOR MEN, FAKE, PLASTIC HEART and NO U-TURN, Matthew Boyle's impressive BROTHERHOOD OF A WHIRLPOOL BOX sees production on ART/WNY's stage and Megan Kemple co-wrote with Brianna Lanoye, Celine Keefe the compelling THE ESSENCE OF LIGHTNING.

Mark C LLoyd is a published Poet and a produced Playwright who resides in Lockport, New York. As a Playwright, Director, board member and production consultant he has worked with many theater companies in the Buffalo, New York area.Mark commented on his work MOON GLOW, "The moon is a bad lounge act?" is an example of what one man has to deal with when getting love advice from the moon. Just one guy to another. Only one of them is the moon."

The rest of the local playwrights featured in the showcase are making their writing debut or are relative newcomers to the writing scene.

In their first staged debut of the work, Megan Kemple along with co-writers Brianna Lanoye and Celine Keefe describes ESSENCE OF LIGHTNING as "a one act surrounding the lives, relationships, and legacies of three famous women: Maria Callas, Marilyn Monroe, and Jackie Kennedy. It attempts to take the mask of the public persona, the archetype away and discover the reality of the human being that lies beneath it."

"She might be among the worst kind of people...She will force you to reconsider your entire life and everything you once knew...Somehow she will make you a better man." writes playwright Maura Nolan from her comprehensive piece CYCLICAL TROUBLE: CHOICES IN THREE EPISODES which includes three interrelated vignettes entitled CHIVALRY ISN"T DEAD...FOR MEN, FAKE, PLASTIC HEART and NO U-TURN. Nolan describes CYCLICAL TROUBLE as "a quirky yet insightful comedic trio of short plays that explores relationships; the decisions we make in them, how they effect other people, the patterns we develop and what you can take from those we let into our lives. Most importantly, though, how we define ourselves by our choices in relationships."

An actor/playwright, Matthew Boyle, saw his first produced THE BROTHERHOOD OF WHIRLPOOL BOX debuted at the recent Alleyway Theatre's "Buffalo Quickies" and is now seeing a production on the ART/WNY stage. After thanking Joyce Stilson, Bella Poynton, "his fellow playwrighting workshoppers, all his SCA friends, his wife and children, and God for all their support and love", Matthew described his piece "as a sociology grad student seeking an interview with a homeless man gets more than he bargains for and maybe exactly what we all deserve."

"Am excited to see the merging of two projects I have been honored to be part of and watch grow." Matthew LaChiusa on the participation of his company ART/WNY and BIF. "Both the Buffalo Infringement Festival and American Rep Theater of WNY were considered 'under the radar' and not taken serious in the first few years of existence, and, now, there is a recognition and respect for both entities. Their successes makes me proud to have an active hand in reaching their potential...and beyond."

The Local One-Act Showcase individual performances run on varying nights. The showcase can be seen at ART/WNY's performance space ART in the Box at 16 Linwood Avenue, Buffalo NY. There is a suggested donation of $10. Please check the ART/WNY website at http://www.artofwny.org/SpecEvents/SpecEvents.html or check the Buffalo Infringement Festival calendar at http://infringebuffalo.org. For additional information please contact 716-634-1102, Mon-Fri, 9 am to 4:30 pm.

Showdates & Times July 24th (Thursday)-7:00 pm-9:30 pm July 25th (Friday) 9:00 pm-11:00 pmJuly 26th (Saturday) 9:00 pm-11:00 pm July 31st (Thursday) 7:00 pm-9:30 pm Aug 1st (Friday) 9:00 pm-11:00 pmAug 2nd (Saturday) 9:00 pm-11:00 pm
Price: $10 suggested donation

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