Greenbrier Valley Theatre (GVT), the State Professional Theatre of West Virginia, presents the 2016 New Voices Play Festival. This community extravaganza, showcasing eight new ten-minute plays, will be running Feb. 4-6 at 7 p.m. with a Pay-What-You-Can preview Feb. 3 at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $16 for general admission, $13 for seniors and $10 for children/students. For tickets or more information, call GVT’s Box Office at 304-645-3838 or visit www.gvtheatre.org.
In 2015, GVT did an international search seeking never-before-produced plays to premier in February. The committee received over 600 submissions from 350 playwrights from all over the world. This year’s New Voices Play Festival includes work from seven talented writers, both professional and amateur.
“As a member of this year’s New Voices Selection Committee, I am delighted at the variety and uniqueness of each piece. Some of these works are very relatable, and some of them will take you to a world that you have never been before,” Micah Hein, GVT’s teaching artist, said.
Greenbrier County resident Danny Boone has been involved with GVT for over 40 years and recently appeared in the 2015 production of A Christmas Carol. His quirky comedy Forever gives a new twist on life everlasting.
E. Wade Fritzius, also a Greenbrier County resident with a long history with GVT, has performed in, written, and directed many plays for New Voices Play Festival. Playing Cards by Twilight’s Shine offers a fresh look at West Virginia’s battle with substance abuse.
Screenwriter and award-winning playwright Adam Szudrich’s work has been seen throughout Australia, Asia and the United Arab Emirates. In Slow Dating, an elderly woman spends the night with a charming stranger and finally realizes the heartbreaking decision she must make.
William H. Sikorski, a lab manager for 3M, writes short plays when he’s not working or spending time with his kids. Canon 983 is the story of a priest forced to make an impossible decision.
Connie Schindewolf is a veteran playwright who has won multiple awards over her 25-year career. In the not-too-distant future of Housekeeping, houses can be programmed and the “help” comes with different settings.
With a longtime career in theater, Les Epstein has experience in writing, directing, acting, singing and teaching with different companies all over the U.S. Ira’s Fantastical Night Ride Up New York 9 shows one man’s battle with dementia, while his wife watches helplessly from the sidelines.
Steven Korbar is a well-known playwright whose work has been produced throughout the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. The drama In Her Golden Years is the story of a mother finally confiding in her daughter, and I Saw What You Said examines what happens when social media interferes with life.