'Summer Shorts'-S. Florida's Annual Short Play Festival
By: Beau Higgins May. 27, 2006
The Carbonell Award-winning festival has become a nationally recognized event and something of a must-see/must-be-seen-there social event for South Florida audiences with a breezy Hawaiian-shirt-and-sandals style of festival happy hours and picnic dinners matched by some of the smartest writing and sharpest theatrical ensembles to hit the stages each season. Divided into two alternating programs, A & B, Summer Shorts attendees can see one program or see them both combined with festival dining packages catered by Café Tu Tu Tango at the Ring Theatre and by the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale.
With each "short" lasting under 20 minutes, this year's festival features eight world premieres and eight regional debuts which are presented over two programs, A and B. Summer Shorts contains adult subject matter and is presented June 1 through July 2 at the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre on the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables and July 6 through 9 in the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale.
Although fans often ask for the return of past favorites, every festival features a completely new line-up of original short-form plays. This year's slate boasts material culled from City Theatre's new artistic alliance with the Actor's Theatre of Louisville's prestigious Humana Festival of New American Plays as co-sponsors of the National Ten-Minute Play Contest. City Theatre Festival Artistic Coordinator J. Barry Lewis sees this as an important opportunity as the company launches its second decade.
"This is the first festival line-up we put together since creating an artistic partnership with the Actors Theatre of Louisville and its Humana Festival last year," Lewis explains. "They set the bar for short form drama and together we have access to the very best theater of this kind being written today. The writing, acting and production level of Summer Shorts has evolved to a level that has brought us national attention."
Adds Managing Director Danielle Karliner, "While we're on the national map in terms of artistic excellence, we also work quite hard to keep the unique, breezy ambiance that makes Summer Shorts a signature South Florida event each year."
Summer Shorts features both of the Humana Festival's Heideman Award winners, Adam Bock's Three Guys and a Brenda, a gender-bending view of dating, and Sarah Hammonds' Hum of the Arctic, a touching play where a woman recounts her deaf mother's intriguing meeting with a painter many years ago. Also direct from Louisville is Rolin Jones' satiric look at suburbia, Sovereignty.
Nine of the region's finest performers tackle over 50 roles, taking on the daunting task of changing characters and costumes in the blink of an eye. Summer Shorts stars Antonio Amadeo, Ivonne Azurdia, Ken Clement, Elizabeth Dimon, Kameshia, Duncan, Joe Kimble, Kim Ostrenko, Stephen Trovillion and Gregg Weiner.
Once again, the festival has brought together many of the region's best directors to present each short to its full effect. Festival Artistic Coordinator J. Barry Lewis shares directing duties with Margaret Ledford, Stuart Meltzer, James Samuel Randolph, Kim St. Leon and Paul Tei.
The talented creative team of scenic designer Michael Amico, lighting designer John Hall, sound designer Steve Shapiro, costume designer Meredith Lasher and property coordinator Paul Tei masterfully change locales, time periods and moods within seconds in the kaledesocopic world of Summer Shorts.
The festival offers two free events in June. On Saturday, June 17th, at 11:30 a.m., City Theater and the Actors Theatre of Louisville will preview one-act plays under consideration for future production as well as contenders for the Heideman Award for 10-minute plays. The reading will take place at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Avenue in Coral Gables.
Local high school playwrights get to show off their shorts in the free KidShorts event Tuesday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre in Coral Gables. The young playwrights work with directors and professional actors to see their works come to life on the stage.
For the second year, City Theatre has joined with the City of Coral Gables, Biltmore Hotel and Gibraltar Bank to present "Summer in the City Beautiful," a summer cultural season packed with performances by regional and international arts groups along with five-star accommodations, sumptuous dining, elegant shopping and a dazzling array of galleries, concerts, literary events and more. For additional information contact City Theatre at (305) 365-5400 or www.citytheatre.com/cg-getaways.
Show times vary with Program A presented on Thursday evenings, Program B on Friday evenings and both programs on Saturday and Sunday. Summer Shorts festival-goers can see one program or see them both combined with festival dining packages catered by Café Tu Tu Tango at the Ring Theatre and by the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale.
Summer Shorts is presented from June 1 through July 2 at the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre on the University of Miami Campus, 1312 Miller Drive in Coral Gables, and July 6 through 9 at the Amaturo Theater of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Tickets are $25 - $35 with dinner available prior to some performances for an additional price. Discounts are available for seniors, students and groups of 10 or more. Tickets are available by phone at (305) 365-5400 or online at www.citytheatre.com. Tickets for performances in Fort Lauderdale are also available through the Broward Center's AutoNation Box Office at 954/462-0222 and its live on-line ticketing at www.browardcenter.org/summershorts.
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