On Wednesday, August 12, at 7:30 P.M., St. Croix Festival Theatre will hold its fourth annual One-Act Play Contest.  This year four plays have been selected for reading by members of Festival Theatre’s acting company.  The plays are all original submissions by playwrights with origins in or ties to Wisconsin and Minnesota, were selected based upon originality, quality of plot and dialogue, and creativity.  At the reading first, second and third place winners will be chosen by the four member reading committee who made the original selections and Festival Theatre’s Artistic director, with input from the audience members in attendance at the reading.

The four plays cover a broad range of subject matter.  “Postage” by Portia Turner, (Wauwatosa, WI), is the story of three young professionals working in the mailroom of a publishing house, each with aspirations of moving upstairs. 

In “Not Any More” by Paul Tinsley (Glenview, IL), Alan’s wife, Amy, has died and Alan can’t help replaying several scenes from their married life together.

“When Cows Attack” by Andy Davis (La Crosse, WI), a bovine tragedy with romantic overtones, relates what unfolds when a neighbor’s bull is inexplicably eaten by the rogue cow it was meant to inseminate.

In “Roxanne” by Deanna Strasse (North Prarie, WI), a ventriloquist pleads with her dummy who refuses to go on stage with her.

Several of the playwrights will be in attendance at the reading and following the judging of the plays the audience will be invited to engage with the playwrights in discussing what they have experienced.  Because of the adult nature of some material, it is recommended that only high school age and older audience members attend these readings.  It promises to be an interesting and enlightening evening at Festival Theatre and all are invited to attend.  There will be a ten dollar admission charge and reservations are recommended.

On Saturday, August 1st, Festival Theatre will open the fourth and final production of the summer, “A Streetcar Named Desire”.   One of American theatre's best loved plays, “A Streetcar Named Desire” has been celebrated, studied and produced all over the world for nearly seventy years.  From the dramatic artistry of Tennessee Williams, this show won Williams the Pulitzer Prize in 1948.
 
A Streetcar Named Desire is a play full of poetic images and clashing brutal coarseness, centered on one of theatre's most iconic women, the fading Southern belle, Blanche DuBois, played by Artistic Director, Jaclyn Johnson.  Blanche moves in with her sister, Stella and brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski, played by guest artist, Josiah Laubenstein.  Marlon Brando played the role of Stanley Kowalski on Broadway from 1947 – 1949 and later received an Academy Award nomination for reprising the role in the 1951 film adaption of A Streetcar Named Desire.
 
The rest of this creative cast is made up of Rachel Kuhnle, Kimberly Braun, Steven Czajkowki, Abi Leveille, Andrew Bradford Benson, David Holmes, Jerry Kurek, Liz Athas, Elizabeth Albers, Megan Clark and two community actors, Sydney Paredes and Edward Moersfelder.
  
Directed by Mark Baer, who also served as the Managing Director at Festival Theatre from 2002-05, Baer also directed Festival’s productions of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, To Fool The Eye, Once Upon a Mattress and Man of La Mancha.   When asked about A Streetcar Named Desire, Mark says,” Tennessee Williams has more in common with Shakespeare, his words are poetry; characters live very close to the surface.  They speak their thoughts and feelings as they feel and think them and that’s what makes watching and performing Tennessee Williams’ plays an intense, emotional experience.” says Baer.
 
 Accompanying Baer’s creative style is the production team of Peter Weber as Stage Manager and Light Design, David Holmes in Scenic Construction, David Markson in Scenic Design, Laura Seed as Properties Designer, Lis Athas as Scenic Dresser, Kim Murphy as Costume Design, and Emma Kravig as Costume Design Assistant.
 
The production expenses for A Steetcar Named Desire have been underwritten by two Festival Theatre patrons in honor of Jaclyn Johnson and Peter Weber for their tireless work and fierce dedication to the mission and vision of St. Croix Festival Theatre.  This show is also being sponsored by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
  
Tickets for A Streetcar Named Desire can be purchased at festivaltheatre.org, by calling the box office at 715-483-3387 or emailfestivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com.  Please be advised that this show contains adult content and situations and may not be suitable for everyone.