White Box Theater Festival offers bite-size plays

By Rebecca Weiler

In putting on the White Box Theatre Festival, a series of one-act plays by new playwrights, both the Long Island City-based Queens Players and the literary journal Ampersand Review had to step our of their comfort zones.

The goal of the Ampersand Review in partnering with the theater company was to step away from its traditional publications of fiction and poetry, while the Queens Players, who are mostly known for their classical productions, were excited to do something more contemporary.

Kirsten Anderson, literary chair of the Queens Players, has been affiliated with the Ampersand Review on past projects. Anderson presented the idea of a joint partnership to the staff of the Ampersand Review, as well as to Artistic Director Richard Mazda and Managing Director Rich Ferraioli, of the Queens Players.

“The partnership was based on the idea that the Ampersand Review would publish all plays that were selected to be a part of the festival. In return, the Queens Players would produce and put up the said plays,” Ferraioli said.

The groups agreed they would open the door to new and upcoming playwrights. The worldwide search for the perfect plays began.

The selection process started in April and continued through June, Ferraioli said. More than 200 plays were submitted from all over the world.

“The ones that we deemed possible, I brought to a select group of the Queens Players,” Ferraioli said. “They whittled our selections down to approximately 25 plays. I gave these 25 plays to the directors and we ranked our final selections.”

In the end, there were only 12 lucky winners.These one-act plays touch on a variety of different subjects, from preparing for an impending flood, to relationship challenges, to the struggles ofa runaway teen and the impact of brutal animal attacks — to name a few.

The Queens Players will produce these plays in front of a live audience, and the Ampersand Review plans to publish these new works seen at the festival. This opportunity allows aspiring playwrights to see their work in print and on the stage.

Because of the many roles involved in putting on 12 separate plays, actors are getting in on the exposure, too, said David Smith, a veteran actor who plays the title role in one of the White Box plays, Mr. Winnecker,” which concerns a childhood imaginary friend who returns to his creator in adulthood.

Smith has performed major roles on numerous occasions with The Queens Players. He said this festival provides actors with the right amount of creative freedom to build their craft. It is also a chance for actors to gain more exposure in New York City.

“The festival is a way to introduce actors to directors and directors to actors,” he said. ”The purpose is to recruit new talent and get some new faces out there.”

Smith isn’t the only Queens player involved in the festival, but audiences can expect to see many fresh faces on stage.

If You Go

The White Box Theater Festival

Where: The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd St., Long Island City

Contact: Richard Mazda at info@thequeensplayers.com or 718-392-0722

Cost: $15 or $25 for two shows

Program 1: July 15, 17, 19, 23, 25, 29, and 31 at 8 p.m.

• Cat, Fish in the Bedroom: Written by Kathy King, Directed by Bridget Leak

• ‘night, motherf*****: Written by Jonathan Wallace, Directed by Ed Matthews

• Mr. Winnecker: Written by Kirsten Anderson, Directed by Bridget Leak

• The Get Together: Written by Ian Fines, Directed by Jonathan Libman

• Office Girl: Written by Barry Jay Kaplan, Directed by Jim Stover