OC-centric: Orange County’s New Play Festival

Where can you find terrific new plays this summer? OC-centric: Orange County’s New Play Festival. Now in its fifth year, OC-centric presents six great stories no local theatregoer should miss – stirring, affecting new works from highly regarded local playwrights and directors, fully produced and fully realized, brought to life by actors and directors from the Orange County, Los Angeles and Inland Empire theatre scenes.

What: OC-centric: Orange County’s New Play Festival
When: August 20-30, 2015
Where: Moulton Hall Studio Theatre
       Chapman University
       300 E. Palm Ave., Orange 92866

Tickets: $20, $12 for Chapman University students, staff & faculty
Reservations & Information: (714) 902-5716
Website: www.oc-centric.com

Full-Length Plays

Fabulous Monsters by Diana Burbano | August 20-21 @ 8pm, August 29 @ 2pm, August 30 @ 7pm

When punk rock exploded in L.A., Sally and Lou were there: feminists, Latinas, queens of noise. One went pop, one stayed punk, but sparks from their tumultuous friendship remain. Decades later, can they overcome old wounds, forgive each other, and rock as hard as they ever did? A new work from this South Coast Repertory teaching artist, developed in Latino Theatre Alliance/LA’s Playwrights Nest Festival. Directed by Paul Cook. Featuring Anita Abdinezhad, Voiza Greene, Julianne Stephanie Ojeda, Lena Romano, Mercy Vasquez & Gerardo Villa-Lobos.

Grace Note by Robert Riemer | August 22 @ 8pm, August 23 @ 2pm, August 27-28 @ 8pm

A family prone to hallucinations finally sees the truth as a long-lost son shakily finds his way home. A new work from this Laguna Beach playwright whose plays have twice received LA WEEKLY Picks of the Week. Directed by Sebastian Munoz; assistant director Angelia Weitzman. Featuring Paul Thomas Arnold, Jennifer Novak Chun, Courtney Drumm, Ian Heath, Tyler Koster & Roger K. Weiss.

One-Act Plays | August 22 @ 2pm, August 23 @ 7pm, August 29 @ 8pm, August 30 @ 2pm

Corrupt Impressions or The Dangerous Ones by Joni Ravenna – A beautiful teacher’s unusual start to the semester is perceived by one student as a sexual come-on. Nearby, another student’s father testifies that the police shooting of an unarmed black youth was justified. In each case, whether the accused is guilty or innocent depends on the reliability of the witness. A new one-act from the author of Beethoven & Misfortune Cookies (produced at the MET Theatre and Odyssey Theatre). Directed by Payden Ackerman. Featuring Jeremy Howard, Ray Parikh, Drew Petriello, Lisa Renee, Chris Strombeck & Lizzie Worsdell.

HamlEt – This 30-minute devised theatre project places the character of Hamlet at the center of conflict in a tumultuous Denmark. Created & directed by Tamiko Washington. Featuring Joshua Bross, Jay David, Shannon Dodson, David Flack, Chase Fleming-Hauser, Rick Kopps & Alpha Takahashi.

Love’s Lost Words by Leonard Joseph Dunham – Two couples, one young, one elderly, converge on a small neighborhood street corner and discuss love, memory, and loss. A new one-act from this former Hunger Artist and graduate of SFSU’s creative writing program. Directed by Angela Cruz. Featuring Bill Carson, Cleta Cohen, Jessica Gray & Kevin Spark.

Spoken Allowed by David Scaglione – A couple try to resurrect the corpse of their dead marriage – made complicated by lies and misunderstandings – in this short play about affliction from this longtime Orange Coast College theatre arts instructor. Directed by Philip Brickey. Featuring Victoria Strafuss & Wade Williamson.

Visit www.facebook.com/occentric for more news & the latest developments!

OC-centric is produced by Actors Circle Ensemble and Eric Eberwein and sponsored by the Department of Theatre at Chapman University.