Fest o' Fives Dramatic Readings Premiere Tuesday Night at Guild Hall

Fest o' Fives playwriting winners will unveil dramatic readings on Tuesday night at Guild Hall. As part of the challenge, the writers gathered first on Friday. Typing fingers have been flying ever since.

Sponsored by The Naked Stage, Fest o' Five asked five playwrights to write a new short play within five days. Each playwright, who was chosen through submissions made over the past month, was given three actors and a specific situation to set the action. They are a hijacked airplane, a Comic-Con convention, a Newman Marcus changing room, a high school robotics competition and a criminal court hallway.

Playwrights were chosen through their email response as to why they wanted to see their play performed on "The Drew." The winning playwrights are Michelle Murphy Strada, Ellen Paul, Hortense Carpentier, Josh Gladstone and Brandi Buchman.

Each respondent had "that certain something" that cast hope good things will follow, according to TNS executive director Josh Perl.

"Each had passion and humor," Perl said. "There was something about the reading of the email—some personal quality about it—that said they were game and will enjoy the process."

The winners are a mix of experienced and new theatrical writers. Carpentier, for instance, is an experienced playwright with performed plays under her belt. Some of her recent plays have even appeared at TNS play readings.

Others, like Gladstone, are brand new to playwriting but not the stage. Gladstone is a theater professional: he's the artistic director of The John Drew Theater at Guild Hall, an actor, a director and a producer. He's never written a play. Writing one has been on his 'to-do' list for some time and Perl invited him to the project as a way to thwart procrastination.

"Perl knows of my assumptive creative potential, and the massive sloth that keeps me from it daily, and so has forced me to take up the pen in an effort to wake up the smoldering muse within," Gladstone wrote in an email about a spot in Fest o' Fives.

Perl coached the Fest o' Five playwrights by saying to be fearless and true to themselves as writers.

"I asked the playwrights to be as vulnerable and open and honest as they can," Perl said.  "To be who they are as playwrights and write with conviction and commitment as they go and take the idea as far as possible."

TNS productions are dramatic play readings. There are no costumes, set design or lighting. Actors remain seated and bring the play to life by reading a script.

The team of actors is divided between area actors and those living in the city. The acting team includes three high school students. Juliet Garret and Max Tabet attend Ross School. Liz Oldak attends Pierson High School.

Actors include Joe Pallister, Kate Mueth, Anne Seelbach, Shashi Balooja, Joe DeSane, Rachel Feldman, Robert Anthony, Susan Cincotta, Licia Zegar, Michael Craig and Dana Segal.

On Tuesday afternoon, the team will gather to rehearse and fine-tune the scripts. Then at 7:30 p.m., the Fest o' Fives begins in the John Drew Theater. Admission is free.