Week One Winner Of The Players Theatre Short Play Festival NYC Revealed

Last weekend West Village audiences celebrated unique New York with the opening of the 13th annual Players Theatre NYC Short Play Festival. Each weekend for three weeks in June, a new selection of 15-minute original plays premieres to revel in the intricacies of just what it means to live in NYC.

Last weekend's audience-selected winner was "Intermission Play", written by Dakota Silvey and directed by Nick Cartusciello.

This one-act features Kaiya (Alicia Lion Januzzi) and Topher (Thomas Boudreau), a couple who have at long last reached the intermission of a torturously terrible play. In discussing whether to ditch, the couple begins to examine their relationship, and discovers that much like the play, it is fraught with problems.

"Intermission Play" appeared among four other NYC-themed one-acts.

"In Transit, written by Carol Croland and directed by Jonald Reyes, begins with two New Yorkers stuck on the greatest equalizer in the city: the subway. Alfred (Ethaniel Burk) is on his way home from his newest gig, dressed in a hamburger suit. He strikes up a conversation with Olivia (Elizabeth "Biddy" Kemery) who is unhappy with their current situation and is reticent to engage. The two soon find, however, that they do in fact have things in common. The conductor (Jesse Montagna) pops in occasionally over the intercom to keep the passengers updated.

"Why in New York", written by Maria Agapi and directed by Sophia Vourdoukis, features a mother (Sophia Vourdoukis) and daughter Despoina (Maria Agapi) in Despoina's NYC apartment. They are preparing for Mother, who dearly misses her daughter and doesn't understand why she has to live in NYC, to fly home. Despoina explains that to her, NYC means freedom to live her dreams and be herself. She also reveals a personal detail that she has kept secret until now.

"City of Strangers", written and directed by Rafael Lyrio, introduces coworkers Liam (Cameron Moser) and Ariel (Rose Flanagan), who are meeting at Liam's apartment for his birthday party. They soon delve into a less-than-festive conversation, however, when Ariel discovers Liam's loneliness and lack of friends.

"The Therapy Session", written by Risa Lewak and directed by Johnny Culver, features Gloria (Laurie Sammeth) and her husband Bernie (David Mackler) at a counseling session with their therapist Jeff (Sasha Henriques). The couple has quite a few issues to work through. These New Yorkers soon learn that their issues are more universal than they thought and begin to see a way through.

The Players Theatre NYC 2024 Short Play Festival continues this Thursday through Sunday with Week 2, which will present five brand new NYC-themed plays that are sure to make audiences consider just what it means to be a New Yorker!

Tickets can be purchased at: www.ShortPlayNYC.com The festival takes place at The Players Theatre (115 MacDougal Street, 3rd Floor) and continues through June 23rd.

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