City Theatre's Summer Shorts Festival Opens This Week at Adrienne Arsht Center

City Theatre and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County invite audiences to celebrate 21 years of the SUMMER SHORTS FESTIVAL from June 2 - July 3, 2016 at the Carnival Studio Theater (Ziff Ballet Opera House).

Tickets range from $39 to $59, and are now on sale to the general public. Performance times vary. New this season, ticket buyers have access to reserved seats in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater. Tickets may be purchased through the Arsht Center box office by calling (305) 949-6722, or online atwww.arshtcenter.org. Groups of ten or more call (786) 468-2326 or email groups@arshtcenter.org for special discounts.

The Carbonell Award-winning festival has become a nationally recognized event that puts audiences up close with a company of chameleon-like actors playing multiple characters in a series of short plays and new this season, ten-minute musicals. SUMMER SHORTS: America's Short Play Festival has built its reputation on featuring the top short plays from the country's best playwrights, with a 2016 line-up that boasts six Southeastern premieres, two world premiere musicals and a world premiere play commissioned by City Theatre.

The 2016 SUMMER SHORTS FESTIVAL line-up includes:

Best Lei'd Plans by Kelly Younger, Southeastern Premiere directed by Jessica Farr

A pair of mothers-in-law enjoying the Hawaiian wedding reception of their new newly married children agree they aren't an obvious success, and come up with a hilarious plan to ensure the happiness of at least two members of the new family.

Cabin Pressure by Paul Rudnick, Southeastern Premiere directed by Margaret M. Ledford

Celebrated playwright and satirist Paul Rudnick's timely and original comedy, features a memorably irreverent, if slightly hysterical flight attendant, who, in accepting the Medal of Honor from the President of the United States, describes what it takes for an aviation professional to keep the friendly skies terror free!

Eggs by Jennifer Jasper, Southeastern Premiere directed by Margaret M. Ledford

A couple of modern parents who constantly worry and fret about their children finally send the kids outside to play, and in one minute discover the consequences. And maybe rewards!

Evelyn Shaffer and the Chance of a Lifetime, World Premiere directed by Elizabeth Dimon

Book and Lyrics by Greg Edwards, Music by Andy Roninson

In this ten-minute musical, Evelyn Shaffer, an indie game designer with a shot at the big leagues, is quickly disappointed when her dreams turn into delusions. But Evelyn discovers she's made of tougher stuff, as she summons the courage of her avatar, and it's game on!

F4 by Elin Hampton, Southeastern Premiere directed by Paul Tei

The aftermath of a killer storm brings Wallis, a young EMT who hasn't saved anyone yet, to the devastation of Crisco's farm, where the man who survived an F4 tornado sitting in an old chair, has lost everything including the will to live. Inexperienced in life and death, Wallis considers her next casualty.

I Buried Doug Biggers Alive But He's Probably Dead By Now, a City Theatre commission by Steve Yockey, World Premiere directed by Paul Tei

Diane Biggers is always furious with her conniving husband, and has finally taken matters into her own hands. And maybe gone a bit overboard. Now with a motley collection of cohorts, Diane tries to explain how his exotic erectile drugs, tax evasion, annoying personal habits and marital stress, has finally made her snap.

The Rules of Comedy by Patricia Cotter, Southeastern Premiere directed by Paul Tei

What do you get when a sad woman with no sense of humor, and a broken-hearted comedian with a chip on his shoulder, walk into a stand-up comedy workshop? A masterclass of life and laughs, with a surprising punch line.

The Talk by France-Luce Benson, Southeastern Premiere directed by Jessica Farr

Last season's award-winning playwright of RISEN FROM THE DOUGH, returns with another surprising exploration of traditions and conventions, when newly widowed Manu, awakens her adult daughter Claire, to ask an unexpected question about sex, and living alone, and becoming a woman she doesn't know how to be. What begins as a funny and awkward talk, becomes a poignant and meaningful late night dialogue that draws a daughter and mother close before they part.

Warped, World Premiere directed by Margaret M. Ledford

Music by Andy Roninson, Book by Chris Critelli and Lyrics by Andy Roninson and Chris Critelli

In an out of this world sci-fi ten-minute musical romance brave space navigator Lieutenant Zulax, discovers he's steered into an uncharted heaven when his alien heart is suddenly captured by courageous Captain Jade. With the help of a strange crew, a tiny furry doctor, and a singing computer, Lt. Zulax dodges incoming asteroids as he and Captain Jade navigate the ups and downs and emotional terrain of falling in love.

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