PORT TOWNSEND — Key City Public Theatre has revitalized the spirit of PlayFest from its 25-year history to present fresh work from regional playwrights and beyond with PlayCraft Originals and 10-minute productions for Sips & Scripts.
The plays will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
All tickets are pay-what-you-wish for a chance to have a behind-the-scenes look at innovative stories in the works, according to a press release. Tickets and information can be found at KeyCityPublicTheatre.org, by emailing boxoffice@keycitypublictheatre.org, or in person during box office hours from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
PlayCraft Originals is your theatrical construction site with new plays in different ‘stages’ of development, according to Kat Agudo, audience services manager.
Featured readings include a new musical by Linda Dowdell and Jessica Welsh, a mystery mashup by Doug Given and solo artist Gin Hammond’s latest play.
Dowdell and Welsh’s “Phantom of the Forest” centers on a notorious outlaw from the turn of the 20th century John Tornow- the “Wild Man of the Wynoochee.”
In 1912, Tornow became subject of the longest manhunt in state history — wanted for the murders of six men, including his twin nephews. His greatest crime, though, was being different — a man who was more at home in the wilderness than civilization, said Agudo.
“A classic outcast protagonist in the tradition of Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd and The Beast, Tornow is a controversial character who is a villain to some and folk hero to others.”
The original two-act musical songs will combine contemporary elements of folk and rock music — for though John Tornow is a figure from Pacific Northwest history, his struggles are universal and timeless.
Given’s “A Mystery Carol” stacks Ebenezer Scrooge against Sherlock Holmes in this holiday hodgepodge of humbug and hugger-mugger, Agudo said.
“What will happen when this holiday grump from Dickensian London meets one of the most iconic detectives of literary history?” she said. “Watch to find out how this conundrum concludes through wit, exhilarating fun, and merriment that blesses us, every one.”
Hammond’s “Living IncogNegro” asks: When your cultural identity is one thing, but your physical identity is another, how do you navigate self-expression? “Living IncogNegro” is both a humorous love-letter, and an academic discourse, dedicated to those who find themselves in the middle of a cultural battle they never asked for.
Sips & Scripts will offer three 10-minute comedic imaginative plays accompanied by cocktails on the KCPT stage with adult content, four-letter words, and the chance to see a cast of actors think on the fly for a shaken & stirred final performance of the night with emcees Brendan Chambers and Denise Winter.
Featured playwrights and their works include Paul Kiernan’s “Numb,” hot coffee in your lap and typing with your face, Bry Kifolo’s “DIY Book Boyfriend,” where reality and your high-strung fantasies collide, clash, and climax, plus D.D. Wigley’s “Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself,” where The Prince of Darkness meets The Trickster. A truly raucous night for all!
PlayCraft Originals and Sips & Scripts are sponsored by Teresa Goldsmith of John L. Scott Real Estate.
