~ 2016 ~
WINNERS!!
Best Script: Etched in Stone
Runner Up: The Ticking Clock
Best Production/Director: The Ticking Clock
Runner Up: Jumping Jasper
Audience Choice: The Ticking Clock
Runner Up: The Wright Others
Best Ensemble: The Wright Others
Runner Up: Fall of Man
Outstanding Performances:
Anthony Kiser (Confessions of a Character Actor)
Robert Rausch (Fall of Man)
Katie Skiff (The Ticking Clock)
Tasnim McWilliams (Jumping Jasper)
Tech Wreck: Possibilities, Endless
Runner Up: Confessions of a Character Actor
Great Job Everyone!
~
Congratulation Finalists!!!
Listed in Order of Performance
(Call is 1 pm)
The Ticking Clock
The Wright Others
~Ten Minute Intermission~
Confessions of a Character Actor
The Fall of Man (Wild Card Finalist)
Jumping Jasper
All other participants please pick up your props between 12:30 and 1 pm on Sunday.
~
The Ticking Clock by Faina Vitebsky, Juliana Forsberg-Lary, Sophia Mahmud, and Katie Skiff
Four women challenge the stereotype of what it means to be fulfilled in a world where women are placed on a fast track to family life and motherhood.
CAST
Katie Skiff as Woman 1
Juliana Forsberg-Lary as Woman 2
Faina Vitebsky as Woman 3
Sophia Mahmud as Woman 4
Senior Housing by Joanne McDonald
Directed by Joanne McDonald
A concerned son convinces his mother to try a “mature” community only to find that things aren’t always what they seem to be.
CAST
Sherry Santana as Joan
Aidan Davis as Eric
Joanne Fuesel as Stevie
Robin Finnacom as Candace
Kevin Flynn as George
Phil Cosman as Sam
Ellynne Brice Davis as Terri
Steve Bayles as Roger
Stephanie Zanelotti as Ann
Jenn Brady as Selena
Jumping Jasper by Yair Packer
Directed by Stephen Fogle
A wise, homeless woman has an unexpected evening when she meets a young man who is about to jump out of a third-floor window.
CAST
Tasnim McWilliams as Susan
Jonathan Berry as Jasper
Check out this article!
2016 PARTICIPANTS
The Fall of Man by Christopher Joyce
Directed by Timothy Joyce
A brother and sister are forced to come to terms with their parents’ respective illnesses - the mother’s failing body and the father’s failing mind. After a tragic death, the surviving family must find answers to hard questions in the face of the never-ending march of time.
CAST
Robert Rausch as Adam
Jeanne Louise as Mary
Stacey Park as Elena
Michael Sokoloff as Ed
The Wright Others by Christopher Joyce
Directed by Christopher Joyce
In the year 1907, Orville and Wilbur Wright have virtually become rock stars after demonstrating heavier-than-air flight in Le Mans, France. Tagging along with them are their brothers, Reuchlin and Lorin, who remain unknown and unrespected. In order to shame their brilliant brothers into similar mediocrity, these forgotten Wrights embark on a quest of useless invention, verbal dunceries, and petty revenge.
CAST
Nicholas Wood as Reuchlin Wright
Jacob Traver as Lorin Wright
Aubrey Joyce as Katherine Wright
Paul Rose as Rear Admiral Crook
J.O. Chrystal as The Narrator
~
Norma’s Scent by Yair Packer
Directed by Keith Hight
Alan just lost his wife Norma. His daughter wants him to give her mother's clothes to charity, but he will only do so after Norma's scent is gone from her clothes. His wife's good friend and neighbor tries to get Alan to give her the one shirt of Norma's he has not washed.
CAST
Ken LaClair as Alan
Lisa LaClair as Mary
~
Stage Manager: J.R. Cook
Etched in Stone by Andrew Martineau
Directed by Emma Ansell
Fanny and Peter, strangers, discover that their grave sites are right next to each other. They do not exactly hit it off, but they continue to tell each other of the first time each of them visited the cemetery. As they tell their stories, their former selves and deceased spouses appear before their eyes to relive their memories.
CAST
Ellynne Brice Davis as Fanny
John Giusti as Peter
Naomi Cary as Frances
Jordan Marbray as Jennings
Gershawn Mason as Pete
Katie Fischer as Lynette
~
Stage Manager: Philip Holland
Character Actor by Aaron Leventman
Directed by J.R. Cook
In 1968 in Brooklyn, David, an early 20-something wannabe Jewish actor has to tell his widowed mother, Bertha, that his big break is in the first X-Rated Hollywood film.
CAST
Anthony Kiser as David
Lynne O'Meara as Bertha
Our WOAF 2016 Adjudicators
Possibilities, Endless by R. DaSilva
Directed by Lisa Gregory
Our technological capacity, intellectual prowess, and enlightened thinking have advanced to such a level that we can modify the genetics of any living thing, from the lowliest weed to the royal heir, to improve its appearance or function. With these abilities we can proceed to create, finally, the longed-for heaven-on-earth.
CAST
Bob Elwood as Hausmann
Faith Hastings as Omilom KenchurchMatthew Howe as HopwallJustin Bose as Atsign Kenchurch
Joanne Fuesel as Phrodite Anderbooker
~
Stage Manager/Carpenter: Lewis Beckley
Almost Opposites Attract by Rick Thompson
Music & Lyrics by Rick Thompson
Produced by New Direction Community Theater
Directed by Rick Thompson
George and Abigail’s long romance ended badly. They meet again at their 25th college class reunion. Do almost opposites still attract?
CAST
Greg Rumpf as George Dwyer
Stacey Park as Abigail Sorenson
Rose Jiménez as Sandy Dwyer
Kevin Flynn as Andy Sorenson
~
Musical Director: Katie Evans
Stage Manager: Cara Brzozowski
Choreography: Stacey Park
Sound Design: Rick Thompson
Loving It! By Lois Stephenson
Directed by Lois Stephenson
Bob and Linda Bowersocks are embroiled in a problem associated with aging when their newly wed daughter abruptly arrives at their door with problems of her own. An exotic neighbor unknowingly brings a solution to old and young, and Marvin, the newly wed husband is surprised to learn how it all fits together.
CAST
Ellynne Brice Davis as Linda Bowersocks
Robert Rausch as Bob BowersocksRachael Culver as Nadine
Tasnim McWilliams as Natasha Boboluskia
Lewis Beckley as Marvin
PRODUCER/FESTIVAL COORDINATOR
Lisa Gregory, M.S., Ph.D.
Lisa Gregory is an environmental consultant with Assisted Management Solutions, Inc. and has been involved with theatre on both sides of the curtain for over 25 years. She has acted, directed, produced, managed, or designed lights/sound/set for over 40 plays. Dr. Gregory is an alumna of St. Mary’s College of Maryland and, after obtaining her degrees in Zoology at the University of Florida, returned to Southern Maryland in 2002 where she volunteered with the TheatriText club at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM, Leonardtown campus). In 2006, she was asked to direct The Newtowne Player’s (NTP) production of Side by Side by Sondheim, and has since then won numerous NTP awards for best light design, set design, director, or play (The Dining Room, Picnic). She was the Technical Director for NTP’s state submission of Trish Cole’s Butterfly in 2010, which received the prestigious Ed-Ro-Char Award for Technical Excellence. In the past six years, Dr. Gregory has focused on original works written by local artists and was the Founder, Artistic Director, and Producer of Southern Maryland Originals, a production of the Performance Arts Club at CSM. Dr. Gregory is the Founder of Watermelon Inc., a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the performing arts and to providing a nurturing and educational environment for original works. She is delighted to have her alma mater, St. Mary's College of MD, host the festival once again and is excited about the record number of students participating in this year's festival. She would like to thank all her wonderful playwrights and volunteers - without you there would be no festival!
ADJUDICATION CHAIR
Michelle Ebert Freire, M.F.A.
Michelle Ebert Freire holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Master of Fine Arts in Drama and Theatre for Youth from the University of Texas at Austin. She also has a certificate from the Drama Therapy Institute of Los Angeles and additional training from the Centre for Playback Theatre. Ms. Freire taught theatre arts, specializing in theatre education, at California State University, San Bernardino, for seven years before moving back to her home state of Maryland in 2009. She currently teaches and directs in the theatre division at the College of Southern Maryland. She has worked as an arts educator and theatre practitioner for several organizations throughout the U.S., including American University, Washington Performing Arts, Young Playwrights Inc., MCC Theater, Seattle Children's Theatre, City Lights Youth Theatre, and Recovery Innovations. Ms. Freire recently directed A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with NTP here in Southern Maryland. Last year, she directed Trish Cole's play, Who's Afraid of a Hot Tin Roof, which won numerous awards at the Watermelon One-Act Festival.
ADJUDICATORS
Jonathan M. Rizzardi
Jonathan M. Rizzardi is a Baltimore/Washington D.C. area actor, director, writer, and vocalist. He is an alumnus of St. Mary’s College of Maryland having earned his B.A. in English with minors in Theatre, Education, and Music (Vocal Performance), as well as his M.A.T. in Secondary English Education with additional focuses in both Theatre Arts and Special Education. As a director, Mr. Rizzardi has had the pleasure of working with college actors, high school students, and community members on productions such asWest Side Story, Our Town (GMHS), Grease, The Little Mermaid (Tree of Life), Working: A Musical, [title of show], Oleanna, andAs You Like It (SMCM). As an actor, his favorite roles include The Master of Ceremonies (Cabaret), Orpheus (Polaroid Stories) – St. Mary’s College, Barnette Lloyd (Crimes of the Heart) – State of the Arts, and Sky Masterson (Guy and Dolls) – TACTICC. Mr. Rizzardi is a Theatre Arts and English teacher at Great Mills High School, as well as the Theatre Arts Director for GMHS’ Lighthouse Productions. He is delighted to be back with WOAF at his alma mater.
We will have a surprise guest participate in our adjudication panel this year!
~
SCHEDULE of PLAYS
St. Mary's College of Maryland, Bruce Davis Theater
SATURDAY JUNE 4, 2016:
10:00 am
Possibilities, Endless
Opposites Attract
Loving It!
Adjudication
1:00 pm
Senior Housing
Jumping Jasper
Etched in Stone
Adjudication
3:30 pm
The Wright Others
Norma’s Scent
The Ticking Clock
Adjudication
7:30 pm
The Queen of Sodom
The Fall of Man
Character Actor
Adjudication
FINALS
SUNDAY JUNE 5, 2016: 2 pm
WARNING: Several plays contain adult content and are not suitable for children.
Back to Home
The Queen of Sodom by Jack Wibbe
Directed by Lisa Gregory
In the 1920s, a small Kentucky town is hit by a lynching, a gay speakeasy, and a southern preacher with a mission to rid the town of homophiles. Two young girls give the preacher the shock of his life and a grandmother reinforces their fighting spirit.
CAST
Lisa Gregory as Ivy
Kevin Flynn as Grady
Daelyn Funk as Coralee
Celena Hansen as Ruby
Steve Fogle as Mason
Robin Finnacom as Emma Lee