One-act play festival hosted Friday at Casa

For $10, Lethbridge drama fans are invited to see four plays.

And then, the audience will be encouraged to stay and hear professional evaluations.

That’s the program this Friday at Casa, for this year’s regional one-act play festival.

Playgoers of Lethbridge will host the event, as usual, and spokesperson Kate Connolly says the lineup includes three original dramas and one well-known work.

“There’s a real variety of plays for the evening.”

Opening the competition at 6:30 p.m., she says, “Zoo Story” by Edward Albee will be staged by Cole Setting and Josh Hammerstedt.

A new work by Playgoers’ president Elaine Jagielski will be next: “Love’s Best By.”

Two plays created by University of Lethbridge students will round out the bill, Connolly says.

“Helen,” by Megan Couch, is described as a feminist take on Helen of Troy.

That will be followed by “Naked: A Play in One Act,” by Alex Long. Audience members will be informed beforehand, says Connolly, if nudity is included.

Each submission must be between 10 and 59 minutes long, she points out. After the final presentation, an adjudicator will critique each one, then name this year’s best actor, best actress and best original script.

The Lethbridge region’s best play will then be entered in a province-wide competition, organized by the Alberta Drama Festival Association. It’s scheduled for Fort McMurray in May.

In addition to the action on stage, Connolly says, audience members will be invited to enjoy complimentary refreshments arranged by longtime Playgoers member Mary Lynn Muhly.

Doors will open at 6 p.m., she says, with tickets available at the door. Seating is on a first-come basis.

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