2016 Short Play Festival

A Collection of Student Directed Short Plays.

Auditions:
Saturday, April 23rd

Each play will perform only once on one of these dates:

Friday, May 27th
Saturday, May 28th

Go to www.ethstheatre.com and

• Sign up for an audition slot.

• View cast lists, when available.
What is the Short Play Festival?
ETHS’ Short Play Festival is a biennial tradition in the theater
department where students select and direct their own 15-minute short plays.
The plays this year range from dramatic, comedic, and even musical. Student
directors then rehearse with their peers, culminating in a final performance in
a main stage showcase on the dates above. With fourteen total short plays and
over thirty roles, there are lots of opportunity for students to perform. Each
short play rehearses on their own schedule, meaning that some can be more
lenient on conflicts if an actor has tryouts/practices, etc.

How do I audition?
Auditions will be in the Upstairs Theater (3rd Floor at the end of the South
Wing) on April 23rd). You must do the following to prepare for an audition:

• Sign up for an audition slot at www.ethstheatre.com.

• Fill out the audition information sheet and bring it to the audition.

• Fill out a conflict sheet, have your parents sign it, and bring it to the
audition. Label any and all potential conflicts. Please be aware that not
everyone will be called to every rehearsal and that student directors will
form schedules for their specific play, but attendance during technical
rehearsals and performances is mandatory for all.

• Prepare TWO contrasting monologues that are at the end of this

packet. We want to see your versatility. Show us what you can do! You
don’t have to be fully memorized, but we highly recommend you do so.
At the very least, know the lines well enough that you’re not stuck with
your head in the script. During the audition process, you might be
asked to read it a different way or receive direction, so make sure that
you’re ready for change.

• Prepare a section of a song of your choice about thirty seconds in

length. This is OPTIONAL, so if you’re not comfortable singing, just
let us know during the audition. If you do intend to sing, however,
please know that due to the vast amount of people auditioning, we
might cut you off before you finish. This is not a measure of your
quality as a singer, just us trying to keep each audition slot down in
time.
 Short Play Descriptions:

2B (or Not 2B)

Written by Jacquelyn Reingold, Dir. by Jayme Coveliers
Description: What happens when Franny, heartbroken and single, is seduced by a giant
Bee who needs a Queen? Weird stuff. Some funny. Mostly weird.

21 Chump Street
Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dir. by Caro Granner
Description: In 2011, Justin Laboy, a high school senior in Florida, was an honor roll
student and on track to finish high school and attend college. Everything changed when he
met Naomi. Although he never did drugs, he agreed to sell her marijuana in the hopes she
would reciprocate his feelings. Little did he know, Naomi was an undercover cop, and he
had committed a felony just months before graduating. This fourteen-minute musical
explores the true story of his catastrophic decision.

Gliese 581D
Written by José Rivera, Dir. by Gaby Godinez
Description: In the (near) distant future, the earth is on its last leg of its life. To keep the
human race alive, the US begins sending people to Gliese 581D, a planet far in our solar
system, whose existence is not 100% known. The planet begins to tear apart long-time
friends, Kat and Melanie, when one of them is chosen to go to the planet, and the other
must stay on earth.

Lost
Written by Marie Louise Wilson, Dir. by Maya Lazarus
Description: A sweet, inherently ridiculous, play about two old women who are hopelessly
forgetful. They've been close friends since their elementary school years and themes of
deep friendship and fond reflections carry these women along their absurd journey. This is
a comedic play that balances relatable elements with absurd elements (a car crash helps the
women to remember facts like knowing all the capitals of the states) to make a well-
rounded, if strange, production.

Variations on the Death of Trotsky

Written by David Ives, Dir. by Jakob Reinke
Description: A humorous exploration of the stages of grief that lead to any person
accepting their own death. There are many opportunities for jokes, and anyone with a dark
sense of humour will love this play, but everyone will thoroughly enjoy it. It has three parts,
two of which should have Russian Accents. If you do not have a Russian Accent, you may
still get cast, since an accent is something that can be learned.
Funeral Parlor
Written by Christopher Durang, Dir. by Sam Blustein
Description: Funeral Parlor paradoxically combines humor with tender anguish in order to
answer the question of how humans cope with great personal tragedies. A widow (SUSAN)
is accosted at her husband’s funeral by an inappropriate guest (MARCUS). He means well,
but he is out of place and just plain odd. Both characters should be able to be very genuine,
yet still reach emotional extremes in both the comedic and dramatic realms, making this a
very challenging scene.

The Interview
Written by A.R. Gurney, Dir. by Fae Rose
Description: A father and his son with hearing loss have a conversation after an important
college interview.

Surprises
Written by Keith Passmore, Dir. by Izzie Graves
Description: Bryn arrives home with the Christmas shopping which includes a surprisingly
large parcel. Is it a surprise? The parcel sparks a somewhat poignant slightly bitter
conversation between Bryn and her partner, Sarah.

Counterclockwise
Written and Dir. by Paula Camaya
Description: Isabel, a young woman, hopes to share the stories of undocumented
immigrants living in the United States. She records the experiences (the struggles and the
joys) of Mary, Toni, Emmey, Celia and Katherine, all who have ties to the undocumented
community, in hopes to expose the faults of our broken immigration system.

Dissent
Written and Dir. by Isak Magnuson
Description: The story of a divorced couple who are trapped in an elevator. They have to
face the problems with their relationship and the lives they led. It explores the topic of
death and loneliness.

The Philadelphia
Written by David Ives, Dir. by Gavin Farrow
Description: At a restaurant, a man is informed by a friend that his frustratingly unlucky
day is the result of his ensnarement in an anomalous pocket of reality, called a
"Philadelphia," in which he will only be fulfilled by asking for the opposites of what he
wants.

I Argh You
Written and Dir. By Maggie Bambic
Description: A mother and daughter have recently went through a rough patch in their
relationship and are dealing with the aftermath of their decisions. They have to overcome
their differences as Emma, the daughter leaves for college
Ohio
Written and Dir. By Patrick Baranovskis
Description: Campus shootings have become common place events for our generation, but
imagine the shooter being the U.S. government? Such a thing is exactly what the students
of Kent State University experienced in May of 1973 when the National Guard opened fire
on an Anti-Vietnam War protest, killing 4 and staining the American psyche. Ohio is a
three person one-act play that takes place later the same day which explores the
intergenerational clash that set the stage for the massacre and which has plagued the human
species even today.

The Still Alarm

Written by George Kaufman, Dir. By Evan Jordan
Description: Set in the bedroom of a hotel which is on fire. The fun lies in the manner in
which it is put out. In the face of most exciting danger, the characters play in the well bred
manner of English drawing room actors. All amenities are preserves, even when two
firemen come in.
 Audition Monologues:

HELEN(An old Woman): Ok! All ready. Let’s go. Wait a minute, my glasses.
Where are they? I was just wearing them. I must have put them down when I
was in the bedroom. Now why would I take them off? I’m blind as a wall
without them. Oh for heaven’s sake! I’m wearing them! Oh good, here comes
the elevator. You know, these are the shoes I got in London. Oh dear, I
forgot to tell you about London, didn’t I? Well, London was fabulous. I went
to that play….Uh….you know….the...that Russian one. The title is something
with birds in it...or was it fish?

MARY: I understood why you felt cheated, why you felt robbed and used,
why you started to crack and not feel human because that’s how they treated
you. That’s how they saw you. Not human. At this point, he’s telling me that
you felt helpless--for years-- that he saw you crumbling and working hard and
dying. When he told me this, he was crying. I asked him why he didn’t go
crazy too and he says it was because of me. And we’re hugging and his tears
are so big and droopy, mine are salty and dark and we miss you. We miss you
so much

FRANNY: I know you told me it was over and I respect that. I mean, I
understand it and I know you don’t want to see me again and I know I was not
very nice to you at times, and I just want to say that I’ve had a-well, a complete
not-nice-ostomy and a total unlike-ectomy, I’ve had all the not-nice unlikable
parts removed, so if you call me, I’m sure we can work it out. (She hangs up.
She tears a strip of wax from her legs.) AH! (She cries. She dials. She holds
the receiver to her leg. She rips wax.) Ah! I’m waxing my legs. I know you
hated my hairy legs, so I’m waxing! (She waxes.) AH! I can’t believe you
haven’t called me back yet. (She waxes.) AH!

MELANIE: All she asked you to do was to take care of her. Take care of the
plants and animals that couldn’t think for themselves. To blend in a little and
take it easy. But we got so hungry. We got so jealous. All the animals were
faster or stronger or could see further or swim deeper. And we were so
envious, we stole all their gifts and made ourselves the strongest, swiftest
creature in the world and destroyed the world in the process. How do you say
goodbye to a love you had… that you violated?
MARCUS: What were his last words? Were they "Boo"? And did he make
any last noises? Guttural sorts of noises? Or high-pitchedshrieking ones?
(makes high-pitched sounds) Eeeeeeeek! Eeeeeeeeeek! Awooooga!
Awoooooga! You know what you need? You need to mourn, Susan. I always
thought that the Irish were right to do all that keening. Do you want to keen
keen Susan? How about singing a Negro spiritual? (sings) Swing low, sweet
chariot, comin' for to carry me home!!! (remembers the situation) Oh, Susan,
you poor, poor thing. All alone in the house now. Alone in the kitchen.
Alone in the dining room. Alone in the living room— living room, that's a
mocking phrase now, isn't it? Alone, alone, alone. All alone. Alone, alone,
alone.

MIKE: On Friday, they came at us with tear gas and bayonets, chasing us
through campus, right after a couple hundred of us had a peaceful sit in.
Today they shot and killed us. They don’t deserve no respect! Man - the
human species is like a speeding fucking train, and you and me and Nixon -
we’re all like the crew or something; responsible for how and where we go.
And who’s looking at the tracks, at the reality of what the fuck is happening
around us and how we’re gonna end up? Huh? Nobody. Nobody. I don’t
even think you really want to know what happened at Kent today. I can see it
in on your face.

AL: You're in a Philadelphia. That's all. In a Philadelphia, no matter what you

ask for, you can’t get it. You ask for something, they’re not going to have it.
You want to do something, it ain’t gonna get done. You want to go
somewhere, you can’t get there from here. Just remember, Marcus, this is a
condition named for the town that invented the Cheese Steak. Something that
nobody in his right mind would willingly ask for.
 Short Play Festival Information Form:

Name:_______________________ ID:_____________ Grade (Circle): 9 10 11 12

E-mail Address:_________________ Phone #:________________

Parent/Guardian Name:___________________ Guardian Phone #:_______________

Parent/Guardian Email:___________________

What is the best way to contact you? (Cirle)

Facebook Phone E-mail GroupMe Other (Specify):________________

Rate your singing abilities (1=Not at All Comfortable, 5=Very Comfortable)

1 2 3 4 5

Rate your ability to read sheet music (1=Not at All Comfortable, 5=Very Comfortable)
1 2 3 4 5

Can you do any accents?

Can you play any instruments?

Do you have any special talents?

Is there anything else that we should know?

SPF Conflict Schedule NAME: _________________________________

Circle ALL of your conflicts. Think of everything. Note specific times and reasons for
absence. Be specific. Due to the nature of The Short Play Festival, you most likely will only
be called for some, or even just a few of these rehearsal times. Still, we need you’re your
conflicts so we know how we can work around you. Some roles will require more frequent
attendance than others. Please do not let conflicts keep you from auditioning.
Dates in bold are mandatory but you will not be called to all of them.

MONDAY 4/25 3:00-6:30 FIRST REHEARSAL

TUESDAY 4/26 4:00-6:30
WEDNESDAY 4/27 4:00-6:30
THURSDAY 4/28 4:00-6:30
FRIDAY 4/29 4:00-6:30
SATURDAY 4/30 10:00-4:00
MONDAY 5/2 3:00-6:30
TUESDAY 5/3 4:00-6:30
WEDNESDAY 5/4 4:00-6:30
THURSDAY 5/5 4:00-6:30
FRIDAY 5/6 4:00-6:30
SATURDAY 5/7 10:00-4:00
MONDAY 5/9 3:00-6:30
TUESDAY 5/10 4:00-6:30
WEDNESDAY 5/11 4:00-6:30
THURSDAY 5/12 4:00-6:30
FRIDAY 5/13 4:00-6:30
SATURDAY 5/14 10:00-4:00
MONDAY 5/16 3:00-8:00
TUESDAY 5/17 4:00-8:00
WEDNESDAY 5/18 4:00-8:00
THURSDAY 5/19 4:00-8:00
FRIDAY 5/20 4:00-8:00
SATURDAY 5/21 9:00-6:00 TECH. REHEARSAL
MONDAY 5/23 3:00-10:00 DRESS REHEARSAL
TUESDAY 5/24 4:00-10:00 DRESS REHEARSAL
WEDNESDAY 5/25 4:00-10:00 DRESS REHEARSAL
THURSDAY 5/26 4:00-7:00 DRESS REHEARSAL
FRIDAY 5/27 6:00 CALL 7:30 START
SATURDAY 5/28 6:00 CALL 7:30 START

Sign below to acknowledge that everything on this page is true, that these are the only
conflicts that will be permitted and that any additional conflicts may result in your role
being recast.

X______________________________ X_______________________________
Student Signature Parent/Guardian Signature