Quincy Community Theatre announces directors, cast for playwriting festival on June 28

QUINCY —  Five playwrights, four local directors, and 17 community performers are bringing new stories to life as rehearsals kick off for this year’s Quincy Community Theatre Playwriting Festival at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 28, on the QCT main stage.

Presented in partnership with the Midsummer Arts Faire, this one-night-only event promises an evening of funny, insightful and entertaining short plays directed and performed by local talent.

“We are fortunate to have so many talented performers in our community—we also have great writers and directors, too,” QCT’s education director Brendan Shea said in a press release. “QCT has long been a supporter of new playwriting through our classes and small-scale presentations. The QCT Playwriting Festival is the next step in creating a space for emerging playwrights, both local and national.”

The short play lineup is:

• Locker Room Talk, written by John Holleman and directed by Nicole Dieker Finley. Featuring Laurel MacKenzie as Timbo, Gretchen Dudley Wolfmeyer as Statler and Lisa Rabe as narration
• The Summit, written by Dan Conboy and directed by Harrison Clarke. Featuring Casey Mercurio as Benny, Mike Robinson as Harry, Randy Wolfmeyer as L. Roi, Kristen Houston as A Buddha and Susan Disselhorst as narration.
• Valley Lane, written by Alec Eaton and directed by Brendan Shea. Featuring Christina Vahlkamp as Amanda, Jason Washington as Thomas, Simon Bruening as Will and Grace Meyer as narration.
• Dispatches From a Mars Widow, written by Nicole Dieker Finley and directed by Brendan Shea. Featuring Crystal Perry as the widow.
• The Bench, written by Romney Humphrey and directed by Elizabeth Mannhardt. Featuring Madison Kastner as Carol, Mason Ellison as Ted, Kristie Bradshaw as Park Worker and Alta King as narration.

The QCT Playwriting Festival is a “Pay What You Can” event designed to make theatre accessible to all. While there is no fixed price, tickets are required to secure your seat. All proceeds will go toward ensuring Quincy Community Theatre can continue to bring similar events to Quincy and the surrounding communities.