Though I've thrown myself into getting out and about in Auckland's arts scene lately, this is still pretty new to me. I think it is safe to say that I more than doubled the number of plays I've seen with last nights trip to the Herald Theatre.
The Short + Sweet 10 minute play festival has been going on for quite sometime, but last night was the first time in New Zealand (marking the fourth country to take it on board). I do hope it comes back, as it was great fun, and must provide excellent opportunities for writers and actors, and the other folk integral to getting live theatre on stage.
I'd listened to a couple of interviews about Short + Sweet, and checked out the website, and was really interested in how it would be pulled off. Very well, as it happens. With each play being a maximum of 10 minutes, and only half a minute or so between each, obviously props and sets are minimal. Ten minutes is actually quite a lot of time to convey ideas and feelings, nothing felt rushed, and nothing dragged. You get to the heart of it, and it just works.
I'm looking forward to the next set from the top twenty next week. There are wildcard shows on the next two weekends, competing for spots in the finale along with the best from the two main seasons. I can't make those, but I'm sure they'll be great. At the moment I'm not booked in for the finale, but will definitely be thinking about it!
Some brief notes about the plays I saw last night follow. If you're interested in checking them out, you have until Saturday night, as this season is on nightly until January 23 (the first wildcard is on Saturday afternoon). The second set from the top twenty starts Tuesday 26 January. You can find more details, and book, from The EDGE website. Tickets are $25, and $35 for the finale.
Tone, from The Outfit Theatre Company (Auckland), was the first play up. With 10 actors and 10 telephones, it captured moments which illustrate the impact of telephones on our lives. It's funny, and sad, and very clever. The comedic moments were all very well done, but the highlight for me was (I think, the program didn't give character roles) Gypsy Kauta as a woman seeking help for anger management.
The Beauty of It, by Marolyn Krasner, was next. Inspired by Rufus Wainwright's Greek Song, according to the program, this featured just two actors, a man and a woman, each recounting an exciting encounter in Greece, apart from one another. I found it a little disjointed, as you switched focus from one story to the other, but it ended well, I thought.
10,000 cigarettes, by Alex Broun (Australia), featured 4 actors, 4 sisters (you learn) together after a funeral. They share, very amusingly, their passion for cigarettes, the fantasy, and then the reality. It's very clever, and whilst you might initially be sucked into thinking it's pro-smoking propaganda, it's not.
Borys The Rottweiler, by Christopher Johnson (Australia) was the fourth play. Just one actor - originally to be Keisha-Castle Hughes, but superbly done by Simon Clark (who also played in The Beauty of It) - on stage, with a meal set up and spotlighted in one corner. Borys is too young to die, he tells, before going on to recount the story as to how he got to this point. I found this piece really moving, and whilst there was an a little awkward laughter at times as the story is told, my eyes were definitely teary by the end. Well done.
Exit Stage, by Renee Laing (Auckland) for Fingerprints & Teeth Productions was the last play before the interval. With 4 actors, playing 3 actors and a disinterested director (though he's interested in one of the actresses) it was an amusing look at the behind the scenes carry on of theatre. It wasn't my favourite play, but it wasn't bad, and hey, it was only 10 minutes!
The Mooncake and the Kumara, by Mei-Lin Hansen & Kiel McNaughton (Auckland), for The Oryza Foundation for Asian Performing Arts was lovely, the story of a Chinese immigrant told largely through letters between him and his wife behind in China, the difficulties being in a strange land, struggling to recall the past, and finding a new life. I really liked this story, the use of language was beautiful.
Waiting for Jim, by Barry Lakeman (Wellington) was the play that got my vote. With three actors playing the same woman at three pivotal times in her life, waiting for Jim, Jimmy and James. The synchronicity was awesome and I loved the ending. As the program says "It is a story that reminds us it is never too late to start again and that a lot can be learnt from the past." Olivia Tennet, Josephine Stewart-Tewhiu and Donogh Rees were directed by Rachel Forman, and were all excellent.
Wild Things, by Michelle Wallace (Australia) was played by 4 actors, two mothers and two children, including Chloe Lewer (who also appeared in 10,000 cigarettes) as Becca the "wild thing" who does not speak. The story spoke to me of patience and love, and of the consequences of absence of these. The program blurb notes that "Sometimes, love is more than words". Yes, it is. This was another sad story, but I enjoyed it nonetheless!
Floor Thirteen, by Thomas Sainsbury (Auckland), by Fingerprints & Teeth Productions. Just three actors on stage this time, including Roberto Nascimento (who also appeared in Exit Stage). This is a very funny play, and I liked it very much! I don't want to give away too much, but I will say that it reinforced for me the dangers of cleaning! :-)
The Fruits of War, by Earl T Roske (USA) was the final play, and is all about the escalation of violence, and war. Very clever. It was rather amusing, knowing what was coming, to see those seated near me (in the front row) react to the plastic sheeting providing, and that it might be needed to avoid "collateral damage". :-D
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