The festival will showcase undiscovered playwrights and untapped subject matter for two weeks.
The stage at the Helen Borgers Theatre is typically privy to sonnets and tales centuries old, but for the next two weeks, fresh stories and takes will be presented in the Bard’s spotlight.
The Long Beach Shakespeare Company is reviving a decades-old tradition with the return of its New Works Festival from May 31 to June 9. New playwrights, green directors and eager actors are putting on shows never before seen, with new perspectives on classic tales and fresh approaches on who and what constitutes “theater.”
From staged readings to full-on productions, from medieval times to a South Asian coffee shop, from an autistic princess to a feminist maiden; Artistic Director Holly Leveque said the festival aims to have a bit of something for everyone. Even if it wasn’t a goal of the festival, it’s a natural result of giving people the stage who usually don’t have the chance to see their work produced.
“Sometimes people’s stories don’t get told who deserve to get told, so we’re happy to make the theater a less exclusive space,” Leveque said. “ … And we’re really happy we can make people’s dreams happen this way and give them life.”
The New Works Festival will open with a one-act staged reading, “Out of the Woods,” written by Robert Weibezahl and directed by Jen Gerould. A “small but mighty” team of three actors will perform this modern-day flip of the Orpheus myth with their scripts on hand.
The blend of old and new seeps into the production, with a theatre member having written the play and a Loyola Marymount University masters of fine art student making their Long Beach Shakespeare Company directorial debut. “Out of the Woods” uses its small cast for a tender, funny story on what happens “if we have the courage to go after what we really want, even when it seems unattainable,” Leveque said about the theme of the production.
“Out of the Woods” will show on Friday, May 31 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 2 at 2 p.m.
The second part of the New Works Festival will highlight two separate scenes that compliment each other thematically, both written by separate company members. “Medieval Sketch” written and directed by Ophir Mashiah, explores gender stereotypes in this comedy where a soldier returns from war expecting a warm embrace, but finds his wife has instead embraced the women’s empowerment movement.
“Behind the Scenes” written by Maren English and directed by Ryan Hollon, is the second half of the double feature, exploring love through two characters stepping into the terrifying world of blind dating.
The two plays will share the stage on Saturday, June 1 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 2 at 8 p.m.
The first full-length play of the festival, “Penelope: A Lesson in Drowning,” is a romantic comedy that follows a princess with autism who is hellbent on keeping her freedom and avoiding marriages her father keeps arranging for her. Written by Baylee Shlichtman, a University of Irvine student with autism, and directed by Angela Cruz Martinez, the production plays with Greek mythology tropes and throws in daddy issues, drowning and the occasional awful disguise.
“That’s another show that wouldn’t always get the chance to be brought to stage,” Leveque said.
“Penelope: A Lesson in Drowning” will show on Saturday, June 8 at 3 p.m. and Sunday, June 9 at 8 p.m.
The final production of the festival is another full-length play in the romantic comedy realm, this one taking place in a South Asian cafe between four friends. “Pyar Aur Coffee” will showcase set pieces from cafes and kitchen, projections and a multicultural exploration of society’s expectations.
“Pyar Aur Coffee” is written by Rena Patel, a writer freshly graduated from law school and directed by Rippin Sindher. The production will show on Saturday, June 8 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m.
Tickets for the New Works Festival are $25 for general admission, $15 for students and can be purchased on the Long Beach Shakespeare Company website.
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