Theater buffs in Kent County get a chance this Friday to hear some new plays in bite-sized form.
“Patchwork Original Plays” gives local playwrights a chance to have a ten minute play performed by the Guild. The plays, along with the actors’ names, are drawn from a hat, and after two minutes of preparation, it’s on with the show.
Killian McMurphy is a writer, actor, and POP participant. He says the show is a little bit different than the usual theatergoing experience.
“You put the name of the play in a basket and they randomly draw your name," he said. "And when you get your name drawn, you go up on stage and you draw your actors. And then you have two minutes to address your actors and kind of give whatever specifics you need to actually verbally communicate to your actors.”
McMurphy says the plays can be comic or serious.
“Usually there are about ten plays. Most are comedies, but you will have dramatic plays in there," he said. "I've been in tears before, watching some of these. I'm like, 'I can't believe you wrote this, sometimes in a couple days, if not a day.'”
McMurphy says POP’s 10 minute shows are a good introduction to live theatre for writers, actors, and audiences.
“It is actually what got me into theater, and it's such a good entry point into theater," McMurphy said.
The Kent County Theatre Guild presents “Patchwork Original Plays” in Dover on March 14 at 6:30 pm.
The theme for Friday’s showcase is “Up in the Air.” The show is free, but some themes and language might not be appropriate for all audiences.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
