No matter your sense of humor, Summer Shorts is sure to hit your funny bone.
The inaugural festival of short plays is the first-ever collaboration between Phoenix Theatre in Edmonds and the Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater in Snohomish.
I saw all seven of the festival’s 10-minute plays while it was staged in Edmonds and had a lot of laughs. The plays were written by local playwrights and featured a variety of humor styles.
Each of the comedic plays was funny in its own way — from the overly dramatic to the just plain cheesy. The shows overall were fast-paced and kept my interest. I enjoyed that I could go to the theater without having to commit to one long storyline.
The plays are “BFF” by Debra Rich Gettleman, “Corona Pass” by Jane Ryan, “Maybe This Time” by Cathy Kaufmann, “The Right Bowl” by Pam Espinosa, “Scoring Points” by Diane Nichols, “Sea Monster” by Daniel Tarker and “A True and Factual Account of the Birth of My Daughter” by Eric Lewis.
Each of the casts is made up of Melanie Calderwood, Susan Connors, Tom Cook, Laura Crouch, BriAnne Green, Steve Heiret, Tracy Kirkpatrick, Vanessa Langston and Asa Sholdez. All of them have performed with Phoenix Theatre.
I was especially impressed by Calderwood and Langston. Calderwood, who plays a Seahawks fan in “Scoring Points,” made the audience crack up with every one-liner. Her comedic timing was perfect.
In “Maybe This Time,” Langston doesn’t have a speaking role, so she relies completely on physical humor. As two more actors act out her character’s inner thoughts — should she go out and play or stay in and get work done? — she puts on a hilarious show as her character struggles to make a decision.
If you missed the festival while it was in Edmonds, no problem. The show moves to The Thumb in Snohomish this weekend.
Nataya Foss: nfoss@heraldnet.com.
If you go
What: Summer Shorts
When: Aug. 3-12, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, 1211 Fourth St., Snohomish
Tickets: $20 at the door or online
More: 360-568-9412 or www.thumbnailtheater.org
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