Act One:One Act Festival 

Act One:One Act Festival 2020 is playing at The Secret Theatre located at 44-02 23rd Street Long Island City, Queens. Program E runs two hours with one intermission. The Festival ends February 29, 2020.

There are eight programs A-H each having at least 5 plays. It more like a scene from a play and not a whole play.

“Start With I Do” was first. Aubrey (Mary Lauren) just got married. Her mother-in-law is taking over everything. Aubrey wants a strong drink but it’s not being served thanks to her mother-in-law. She goes looking for a bar. Jo (Claire McClain) goes behind the bar to get her one. Her friend Connie (Jo Danze) shows up all giggly. Finally, her husband Jonathan (Christopher Heard) appears and all hell breaks loose.

“There is No Other Path” is about an ad agency. Seems Marvin burned the products that were to be displayed when the clients come in. Jocelyn (Molly Powers Gallagher) hires Barrie (Emily Rainbow Davis) to clean up the products so they are presentable. They are promoting products for girls 12-17 years old. The idea behind it is to make the girls feel ugly so that when use the products they will be beautiful.

“It Could Be Worse” Jimmy (Richard Vetere) is watching his son play baseball. He keeps saying how bad he as a player. Lea (Maja Wampuszyc) stands next to him cheering her son on. He’s playing in the same game. She has only good things to say about her sons playing.

“The World is Lit by Lighting” There is a warning of full-frontal nudity. Kipp (Paul Gauger) is standing outside. Tom (Desmond Dutcher) approaches him with an umbrella open. He eventually invites Kipp to his apartment. Kipp is an actor and Tom is a playwright. They are going to act out a scene from him play. Kipp takes his clothes off puts a blanket around himself. He is transgender. They read parts in the play. Tom kisses him. Things don’t go further. They talk after that.

“Permission” Emma (Emmy Carlyle Albritton) wants to go on an overnight field trip with her class . Her mother Alice (Sarah Kiefer) won’t sign the permission slip. On another field time her friend got raped. Emma assures her mother she will safe and knows how to take care of herself. We find out Alice was raped.

“A Broom with a Schtick” Tom (Patrick Lam) is sweeping all around Midge (Martha Branufield). She can’t be bothered with Tony she wants to read. There are three scenes. Midge encourages Tom to talk about himself. He was a fighter, fell in love and got married. One night he came home to find another man in bed with his wife. He punched him and killed him. Tom spent twenty years in jail. The fighting and his jail time may explain his bouts strange behavior. Midge tells him she has had her own failed relationships.

The last was “A Play within a Play within a Play” Rhonda (Charleigh E. Parker) and Adam (Jason Sanford) are rehearsing a play. They take a break. In the process get to know each other. They read the lines again with more conviction.

The play I liked the best was A Play within a Play within a Play. It was delightful. The second was A Broom with a Schtick. It needed a little more information who the characters are and where they were. But it does have great potential to be an outstanding play. The last was Start with I Do. It has promise when more scenes are added, it would be delightful play to see.

It was fun seeing scenes from a play. If you didn’t like it you wouldn’t have to wait long till it was over. If you did like it you could expand it in your own mine as to what scenes you would add to make it a full play.

If you don’t mind taking a trip to Queens, it will be worth it.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast of A Broom with a Schtick scroll down to the left for photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.