Curtain falls on Forum
The 25th – and final – Playwrights’ Forum Festival gets under way tonight at the Spokane Civic Theatre’s Firth Chew Studio Theatre.
After a good long run, this annual playwright’s contest and showcase has been put to rest by the theater’s board. The theater still hopes to foster new work, but in a new, yet to be decided, form.
More on that below. Meanwhile, the forum will go out in style with a new, compact showcase of new works – six short plays, none more than 15 minutes long.
“At different times, we’ve done different things to celebrate benchmarks, and this year we decided to take working playwrights in the Spokane region and ask them to do commissioned pieces, along with a short play contest,” said Bryan Harnetiaux, the Civic’s playwright-in-residence, who has been helping run the forum since the beginning. “We’ll be doing all of them, every night, for six nights, with talkbacks afterward every night.”
In addition, the forum is bringing in well-known Northwest actress Megan Cole to do two workshops on June 14 – one for actors, one for playwrights – as well as to perform her show, “Megan Cole: The Wonder of it All” on June 15 at 1 p.m. Cole has an extensive stage resume in Seattle, Portland, L.A. and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and she originated the lead role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Wit” at the South Coast Repertory in 1995. She is currently artist-in-residence at the University of Texas in Houston.
But Cole is perhaps most widely recognized as Peggy, Elaine’s co-worker on two “Seinfeld” episodes, “The Susie” and “The Apology” from 1997. She has numerous movie and TV credits.
Harnetiaux said that five of the short pieces on the program are by regional playwrights, including himself and Sandra Hosking. Hosking has just been named the Civic’s co-playwright-in-residence. She got her start in the festival and her work is now produced around the country.
The sixth piece, “Oracle & the Scribe,” by Toronto playwright Anthony Arnold, was the winner of the forum’s short play contest.
Here’s a brief description of each short play:
• “Always,” by Will Gilman – A love story about a young married couple and the tragedy that befalls them.
• “Workshopping Shakespeare,” by DJ Edmiston – Which answers the question, “What if Shakespeare had been forced to endure the modern theater workshopping process?”
• “Antipasto,” by Bryan Harnetiaux – A scene in an upscale restaurant and adjoining alley; an exploration of American values.
• “15 Minutes,” by Matt Harget – About a young rocker who experiences the Warhol-ian period of fame.
• “Oracle & the Scribe,” by Anthony Arnold – A piece in the absurdist tradition about an elder attempting to impart knowledge to a youth.
• “Con Science,” by Sandra Hosking – A comedy confrontation in an alley between good and evil.
All six will be performed each night.
Megan Cole will come in for the last weekend of the festival to do her two workshops: “Audition Master Workshop for Actors” on June 14, 9 a.m. to noon; and “Playwrights and Actors Can Be Friends,” June 14, 2 to 5 p.m. To register for either of these free workshops, call Hosking at (509) 953-9928 or e-mail her at sandrahosking@hotmail.com.
On June 15, at 1 p.m., Cole will perform her one-woman show, titled “Megan Cole: The Wonder of It All: A Collection of Light-Hearted Stories, Poems and Musical Bits.”
And that will mark the end of the Playwrights’ Forum Festival as we know it. According to Civic executive director Yvonne A.K. Johnson, it has been an increasing struggle to attract participation of all kinds: from actors, directors, audiences and volunteers.
Johnson said the theater still has a commitment to “discover and produce new works,” but it’s time to try something new. They are still working on ideas for the future.
“We’ll regroup, or maybe resurface in another venue,” said Harnetiaux.
Harnetiaux said the Playwrights’ Forum Festival has built a legacy to be proud of. A number of plays that debuted at the festival ended up being published and produced in theaters far and wide.
If you go
Spokane Civic Theatre’s Playwrights’ Forum Festival
When: Opens tonight and continues through June 14. Performances are 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays and 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. There will also be a performance of “Megan Cole: The Wonder of it All,” June 15, 1 p.m., as part of the festival.
Where: Spokane Civic Theatre’s Firth Chew Studio Theatre, on the lower level of the Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard, entrance off Dean
Cost: $14, all shows are general admission
Contact: Call (509) 325-2507 or buy tickets at the door. All performances at the Spokane Civic Theatre’s Firth Chew Studio Theatre, on the lower level of the Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard, entrance off Dean.