Whidbey Island Center for the Arts steps into the realm of one-act plays with its first ever "One Act Fest Northwest," featuring British playwright Peter Shaffer's "Black Comedy." The comedy will be the highlight of a festival that will also showcase a handful of published and original one-act plays. The festival is set for April 10 to 19, 2015.
Directed by local thespian Tristan A.B. Steel, "Black Comedy," is the epitome of a British farce - a classic tour-de-force - which is staged with a reverse-lighting scheme. In other words, the play opens on a darkened stage, and a few minutes later the show is "short circuited" and the stage is illuminated to reveal the characters in a "blackout."
"For the rest of the play, the audience can see the characters, but the characters can't see themselves," Steel explained, and so the quirky hijinks ensue.
Steel called the play a "rollicking comedy," which gives you some idea of its pace, and may explain why the director first fell in love with the play as an eighth-grader on a field trip to see University of Washington acting students tackle it.
Shaffer, (of "Amadeus" and "Equus" fame) is good at employing the tricks of his trade and "Black Comedy" has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. In this play, Steel noted, the playwright uses dramatic irony to bolster the audience's engagement.
Think of what Shakespeare does so well: Juliet isn't really dead, but poor Romeo hasn't been told, and the audience leans in. "We know something the characters themselves don't," Steel said. "In my experience, audiences enjoy having this inside knowledge. They become more involved in the show, which builds their anticipation for both the expected and the unexpected."
The cast of "Black Comedy" includes: David Mayer, Kent Junge, Melanie Lowey, Lucy Pearce, Gail Liston, Brian Plebanek, and Ken Stephens.
Winning plays selected to be included in 'One Act Fest Northwest' are:
Performances for One Act Fest Northwest will take place at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays; April 10 to 19. Tickets: Adult $22 / Senior $18 / Youth $15 / Matinee $15. Click Here for Online Purchases. Online tickets are available until noon the day of the show. For tickets by phone, call the Box Office at 800.638.7631 or 360.221.8268. You can also buy tickets in person at the Box Office at 565 Camano Ave in Langley between 1 and 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, or two hours before any show.
Whidbey Island Center for the Arts is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving the community of South Whidbey Island and beyond. WICA's mission is to inspire, nourish, and enhance the artistic, social, and economic well-being of the community.
Videos