A boyfriend turns into a plant in a short, original play to be staged next week at the Heartland Regional One-Act Festival at Red Deer’s Central Alberta Theatre.
Two other comedies — about an aging playwright fighting irrelevance, and strangers bringing emotional baggage to a train station — will also be presented on April 21 and 22 in the Nickle Studio at Central Alberta Theatre.
This annual competitive theatre festival is fostered by the Alberta Drama Festival Association. The three plays will be adjudicated and the winner will go on to compete at the Provincial One-Act Festival in Lethbridge on May 26 and 27.
A preview performance will be held on Friday April 21, followed by the judged show on Saturday April 22.
Among this year’s three comedies are two new works by local playwrights.
A Plant Called Kyle McKinney is written and directed by Aaron Vanderweg. The absurdist play shows what happens when a young woman wakes up to discover her boyfriend has sprung roots.
Reception is written by Sarain Soonias and directed by Jeremy Brooks. An aging playwright must overcome his own out-dated ideas to try to save his theatre company from bankruptcy.
As well, a published play will be presented: Red Deer Players will stage Emotional Baggage, by Lindsay Price, directed by Red Deer Players and CAT Member Wanda Oler. The non-verbal comedy is about seven passengers who are carting around their emotional baggage.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. in the Nickle Studio, next to the Memorial Centre. Tickets are available from showpass.com, or by calling Central Alberta Theatre at 403-967-1769.
Formed in 1969, the Alberta Drama Festival Association (ADFA) is an umbrella group for adult amateur theatre in the province.