Living in Fairfield County affords us ample opportunities to hop on the Metro North and catch a Broadway show with relative ease. However, this month, Broadway is coming to us via the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival (https://www.broadwayboundfest.com) in New Canaan. Seven original plays have been selected and will be performed at the historic Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park.
This is the first time the festival is taking place in Connecticut after almost a decade of being held in New York.
This is a highly educational program for the playwrights. "I work closely with them in the four months before they open," says Lenore Skomal, the director of the festival. "They're accepted in March and we have Zoom {meetings} about different topics. The last Zoom is with producers from Broadway, Off-Broadway, and London. It gives them an idea of what a production looks like at that level.
Skomal reads every submission that comes in and genuinely wants to help the playwrights achieve their dreams. While the plays may not end up on the Great White Way, especially in what Skmoal calls a "challenging time", the mentorship from her guides the playwrights to the right avenues for their works. "It's super easy to get taken advantage of. That's the one thing I really don't want to see happen because playwrights aren't paid enough anyway and it's really hard to make a living out of it. The ways deals are structured now, you often only make pennies on a dollar."
But, not all hope is lost. "If we can effect change at this level and have these folks have that mindset," says Skomal "the ripple effect is, over time we'll start to see more of an independent movement that's successful."
In the spirit of supporting that independent movement, you still have plenty of time to catch off the shows on the roster. Starting tonight, you can catch the early show for Family Vacation at 5 p.m by Lily Ayotte.
Grandma Emily has finally died. At her funeral, her family is forced to cope with her legacy–the dysfunctional relationships she’s left behind. Grief turns to relief and their pain is turned inside out as the pretense is stripped away. Will they be able to come to grips with truth and find hope or will Grandma end up having the last word?
Or, Flags at 8 p.m. by Tom Mullen
Chaos reigns near the end of the War in the Pacific so Gabriel sheds his wings to lead a band of Marines at Okinawa, thinking America to be the last, best hope for humanity. But when the platoon realizes the flag-raising at Iwo Jima was a publicity stunt designed to sell war bonds, they begin to question the righteousness of their cause. The women they’ve left behind cope with an uncertain future as their homeland teeters on the edge of bankruptcy. With their able-bodied men fighting overseas, the women’s lives and their dreams are in limbo.
It's Not You
By: Brian Mulhern
Radio funnyman and serial dater Neil Doyle longs for a life partner, but can’t seem to break his habit of manipulating would-be girlfriends into breaking up with him. When he finally meets the woman of his dreams, he finds himself forced with a decision: Grapple with his deep-seated fears of commitment from the past or live out the rest of his life alone.
Pandaemonium
By: Alex McFarlane
Divorcees Judith and Telfer find themselves stuck in the unfortunate situation of being together again – in Hell, located deep in a labyrinth of tunnels in the substrata of Grand Central Station. Against her better judgment, Judith entertains a soul pact with Satan, who wants her to rekindle her relationship with her ex in order to unfold his ungodly plan here on earth. If she’s successful, there will be Hell to pay
Project Sankofa
By: Karl O'Brian Williams
Shawn Thompson is on a journey, whether he knows it or not. The soon-to-be-21-year old seeks answers about his cultural and personal past in order to understand his present and ultimately his future. By his side, to challenge and guide him, are African Elders Abebi, Shomari, Xola and Anan. Their goal? To help him find the answer to his question: Who am I?
The Abbey
By: Garrett Bates
Floundering in his post-pandemic grief, a widower embarks on a silent retreat after a near tragedy sparks his loved ones into action. Sent to a Trappist monastery in the middle of nowheresville, Sam is met by the important voices in his life, as well as a few quirky (and sometimes armed!) monks. Along with a fellow traveler on her own journey of healing, Sam struggles to find a new path forward without leaving his old love behind
What's Done is Done
By: Alan Richards
Ex-spouses Marty and Kay meet for a final time after years of being apart. As they reminisce about their relationship and reconcile their sins of the past, the present looms heavily over both their heads, as Marty has a proposition for Kay that causes them both to reconsider the future.