Lab Theater Project's Annual Comedic Shorts Festival Opens This Thursday

 LAB Theater Project will present its annual comedic shorts festival, LAB Laughs, with 7 original, never performed plays, running July 11 - 21 (Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm), at 812 E Henderson Avenue in Ybor City. 

Each year, LAB Theater Project puts out a call for short comedic plays for its annual LAB Laughs fundraising event. The call in 2023 attracted 94 submissions from all over the world, which LAB staff pared down to seven hilarious scripts. The seven scripts feature one local Florida playwright, four from other parts of the U.S., and two from Canada.

Two directors, Caroline Jett and Katie Calahan direct the seven plays with eight actors: Bill DeYoung, Zack Finley, Nathan Juliano, Brice Bailey, Rachel Stidham, Jennette Cronk, Lara Jackson, and Erinn Botz. Set and lighting design by Owen Robertson, sound design by Rick Anthony, props by Beth Tepe-Robertson, light/sound operation by Idannys Suarez, and stage management by Crystal Reina.

“Laughter is truly the best medicine in these times,” says Robertson, Executive Producer and Founder of LAB. “These plays are sure to make you laugh!” 

Through the seven comedic works, audiences will begin their evening at BITTER GROUNDS, a simple little coffee shop that doesn’t cater to bougie drinks but rather serves coffee perfect for your personal crappy mood. Two couples gather to play “BRIDGE” but very quickly it isn’t about cards but rather a hilarious misunderstanding of “playing” together. Dating is hard enough these days, and there is an app for everyone, imagine if the beloved Wordle became a dating app, they would have to call it FLIRTLE. In FULL FRONTAL TRANSPARENCY, two young people, tired of the dating scene, seek to find a quicker way of getting to know each other by getting all the nasty “secrets” out of the way upfront; what could go wrong? Ever wonder if there was a quicker way at the end? HEAVEN CAN’T WAIT, has the answer for you, and you’ll get the service you deserve. We end the night cuddling up to two old familiar friends or are they. In SNOW WHITE WHO? Prince Charming comes home to tell the King of his luck in finding the perfect future Princess, but dear old dad has questions, a lot of questions. And to end the night, we take a look back at the big bad wolf. Ever wonder what he was like as a child? THE ORIGIN OF ZEKE WOLF explores that question as his parents attend a teacher’s conference to discuss Zeke’s recent behavior.

All of this is contained in LAB Laughs! LAB promises laughs! Note: audiences may need tissues for tears of laughter. LAB also warns audiences that it accepts no responsibility for broken funny bones or side-splitting injuries if you attend. 

LAB Laughs is rated PG-13 for Parental Guidance. There is some adult language and themes that may not be appropriate for all ages. 

LAB Laughs runs for two weekends, July 11-21 for in-person performances and on-demand begins July 25-August 8. In person performance times are Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday matinee at 3 pm. LAB reserves the right to adjust the number of seats available in response to CDC guidance, to protect the health and well-being of our audiences, cast, and crew. For On-demand performances, with ticket purchase, audiences will receive a link to connect them to watch the performance for a 24-hour period once activated. 

Tickets are $31 and are available online through LAB’s website, https://www.labtheaterproject.com.  Tickets may also be purchased at the door of each performance for $33. Please contact the Box Office at 813-586-4272 for questions or interview requests or email us at information@labtheaterproject.com. 

 

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