The Festival of ‘Wrights: Four Nights of Short, Sharp Plays and Musicals

Makor presents the third installment of the Festival of ‘Wrights: Four Nights of Short, Sharp Plays and Musicals. Each night of the Festival is organized around a unifying theme and features a New York premiere by a headlining writer, plus shorter plays or musicals by emerging talent. Now in its third season, this festival has featured readings and performances of over 30 new plays, as well as interviews and panel discussions with both renowned and rising talent. Participants have included Wendy Wasserstein, Liz Swados, Susan Sandler, David Strathairn, Melissa Leo and Marcia Jean Kurtz. The Festival was created and is produced by Daniel Gallant in conjunction with Makor.

Sunday, August 8 at 7:30pm
Takes on Shakespeare
The Bard’s work inspires humor, fear, excitement, boredom, passion and resentment. All those emotions are on display when a top-notch collection of contemporary dramatists take on Sir William with new Bard-related plays that veer between homage, irreverence and insanity.

Romeo Hates Juliet
Written by Laura Shaine Cunningham, a high school class is polarized by passion, cynicism and contentious rehearsals for a Shakespeare production.

The Goblins Plot to Murder God
Written by Mark O’Donnell, this is an absurdist comedy written in Shakespearean verse.

The Long Arm
Written by Estep Nagy, theatrically-minded cops pull over a speeding couple and lead them through acting exercises.

The English Lesson
Written by Jack Gottlieb, this is a musical version of a comic scene from Shakespeare’s Henry V.

A Park Play
Written by Mark Young, two actors try to remember their lines during a rehearsal for an absurdist play.

Will We Now
Written by Daniel Gallant, an actress tries to shut down a terrible Shakespeare production in which she has been forced to star.

Pyramus and Thisbe
Written by Lawrence Thelen, this is a musical version of the riotous play-within-a-play from Midsummer’s Night Dream.

Sunday, August 15 at 7:30pm
A Brief History of New York
The city we love portrayed on stage in all its gritty radiance. A collection of short plays will chart the tangled evolution of New York City, from its days as New Amsterdam to the reign of Old Broadway.

Mr. Morton Takes the Bus
Written by Warren Leight, a rookie New York City cop must spend the 4th of July guarding a crime scene and wrestling with his inner demons.

Snap
Written by Tony Foster, three tourists argue over how best to take romantic pictures of each other in Central Park.

That’s What You Always Say
Written by Martha J. Thomas, a hard-working woman can’t decide whether to give money to a panhandler on the subway.

Backstage Broadway
Written by Julius Bocala, a street performer tap-dances his way into and out of stardom.

Subway Sonata
Written by J.M. Boyer, a woman berates a fellow commuter then romances him.

Pastrami Apparitions
Written by Woodbridge Kelly, the ghosts of two New York City mayors and a Nobel-winning physicist appear at LaGuardia Airport.

Sunday, August 22 at 7:30pm
Musicals in Miniature
A marathon of musical theater vignettes by renowned and rising talents in an event where rock opera artists share the stage with music-hall vaudevillians.

A Small Reception
Written by Mark O’Donnell, at a sham wedding, a caterer encounters his former lover, tries to poison her and ends up with the discarded bride.

A Simple Love Song
Written by Evan Guildford-Blake and Deborah Abramson, two mismatched couples pursue and woo their lovers in 1920’s Manhattan.

Girls are from Pluto, Boys are from Uranus
Written by Howard Levitsky and Bethany McLure, junior high schoolers flirt melodiously.

Goodbye Dolly
Written by R. N. Sandberg and David Rodwin, Dolly the Sheep is cloned in Scotland and sings about her confusing existence.

Campaign
Written by Daniel Levin, an underdog candidate for political office chooses an unlikely campaign manager.