7pm March 26th, 27th, 30th and 31st , and It's FREE

 

Come out and enjoy the University of Manitoba Theatre Program’s Fire in the Hole Festival.

 

Last term, the Theatre Program offered classes in playwriting and play dramaturgy. The student playwrights worked with student dramaturges to produce short, one act plays. This term students who are taking the Advanced Directing class have focused on directing these new plays.

 

The collaborative process will culminate in a series of sit-down and staged readings taking place on March 26th, 27th, 30th and 31st.

 

Here are each of the plays being shown and a brief description of their content:

 

Pseudoscience by Kevin Ramberran is a raunchy comedy about two friends trying to get along while locked in an apartment together. While Wayne, the lovable loser of the two, struggles with his physical passions, the narrow-minded Adrian tries to conduct an experiment. It’s a show that will make the audience laugh and cringe at the same time.

 

Proof of Relationship by Emily Muller is a drama set against the backdrop of the Canadian immigration system. A man discovers a life shattering truth about his daughter as he attempts to move her to his new found home. An immigration worker shows up, determined to get some answers and gets more than she bargained for. This play is an emotional journey for the characters and the audience.

 

Unforgettable by Tiffany Walker features a young daughter coping with the loss of her father. It explores the darkest parts of a young girls mind as she struggles with some of the hardest challenges life has to offer.

 

Waiting for Godot’s Voice by Kristian Enright throws the audience into the mind of the insane. A patient, a doctor and some voices in your head are just a few of the characters who navigate the surreal dreamscape of insanity that Enright puts forth.

 

Somebody by Mike Long is a dark, complex criticism on society through the lens of one man who decides to stop working. As his marking of papers slows down, a building is erected outside his window, blocking his view of the park and subsequently, his only source of happiness. This play is definitely something that will get people talking.

 

Satellite of Love by Ivan Henwood is a curious story about a family dealing with the unusual behavior of the patriarch. An old man becomes silently entranced with a radio and his children debate his well-being and behavior.

 

Nuclear Family by Ainza Bellefeuille shows the way a couple’s marriage is shaken apart by the death of their son. As the couple struggles with their own issues, the emotions get increasingly tense as the ghost of their son haunts the space they live in.

 

The Tip Off by David Dick is a hyper-active comedy set in a hospital. When a doctor accidentally performs a circumcision before the mother gives full consent, he works to convince her and her traditionalist father that circumcision is the right choice.

 

A Theatrical Presentation of the Manifestation of Patriarchy in Contemporary Western Society; A Sample of the Soon to be 2012 Fringe Production “Lady Skits”-*Inspired by the Muffs of Women and the Stache of Dennis Smith by MUFF-stache Collective is almost entirely what it sounds like. A collectively created piece of feminist theatre that is sure to make the audience think and laugh.

 

On Monday, March 26th and Tuesday, March 27th at 7:00pm, sit-down readings will be held in the Losey Studio (in the basement of University College). Each day we will read a different set plays. On Friday, March 30th and Saturday, March 31st at 7:00pm, staged readings will be held in the Black Hole Theatre (in the basement of University College). Following the same formula as the sit-down reads, different shows will be staged each night, so if possible, come out to both!

 

All of the evenings are free to attend and a small feedback session will be held after each show to discuss the works.

 

Sincerely,

 

Kevin Ramberran

Production Manager, Fire in the Hole