A haunted, howling wind continued whipping its way down MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village as the second weekend of the 12th Annual Players Theatre Short Play Festival Boo! premiered with five new original short plays.
This weekend’s audience favorite was “Ghost Job”, written by Riley Fee and directed by Justin Goldstein.
“Ghost Job” gives audiences a hilarious take on the idea of being stuck in the afterlife. A ghost (Riley Fee) wants to pass over to the afterlife but is having trouble. He appeals to Worker (Kathryn Loggins) for a ghost job, which turns out to be a misnomer, but runs into problems proving he can do the job since he can’t touch the computer or telephone to make sales calls. It soon becomes apparent when Coworker (Julian Guzman Abril) comes in that Worker is the only one who can hear or see Ghost – unless, that is, Ghost speaks using an Arnold Schwarzenegger impression. Hilarity ensues as a solution is reached and all head out to enjoy a Billy Joel concert at The Garden together.
Four other fearsome plays joined “Ghost Job” in the lineup.
“Maternal Bond”, written and directed by Brenda Bell, presented audiences with an old-fashioned Victorian séance. Simone (Tara Adams), a delicate medium, has decided to retire from holding séances at the urging of her maid (Sue-Ellen Mandell). However, her intended Raoul (Ethan Fox) has booked a session for her, so she agrees to hold one last séance. Madame Noir (Laurel Andersen/Brenda Bell) arrives for her séance, and it is soon revealed that she is responsible for the death of her daughter (Rosie Ilardi). Soon the séance takes a turn for the worse when Madame Noir breaks the rules…
“Dracula…in Denver!”, written by Sarah Congress and directed by Mary Linehan, follows Vlad a.k.a. Dracula (Scott Cagney) who has just had a third date with Mina (Mary Linehan). They are interrupted by Renny (James Morogiello) who, after finding out Mina is a corporate recruiter, wants her to come recruit for them. After a misunderstanding in which Mina thinks they are Republicans rather than vampires, Mina soon reveals with horrifying howl a secret of her own.
“Somewhere in Between”, written by Sean Morgan and directed by David Christopher, finds two lost souls trapped in purgatory. David “Sean Morgan”, stumbles upon Rachel (Nadine Hart) when he accidentally skips the purgatory intake desk. A reluctant Rachel ends up guiding David through the tumultuous stretch of time in which he comes to understand that he is no longer among the living and has to learn how to cope. Through it all and despite Rachel’s best efforts, they soon discover that perhaps purgatory doesn’t have to be a lonely place.
“The House of Joe”, written by Risa Lewak and directed by Megan Magee, embraces the awkwardness of an old owner showing up at a house he has recently sold. Kylie (Elizabeth Wright-Williams) opens the door to find a nostalgic Joe (Blake Williams) on the front porch. He talks his way in and takes Kylie around the house, reminiscing about all the good times his family had in the house. It is soon revealed that the house is actually haunted, and the spirits miss Joe and his family. With Joe’s help, Kylie gains a new appreciation for the house and all the love and memories it holds and comes up with a plan to appease the ghostly spirits.
The Players Theatre SPF 2023 Short Play and Musical Festival returns this Thursday through Sunday with five more frightening plays guaranteed to send a shiver up your spine. Lean into an October kind of mood and say Boo! with these chillingly clever shows!
Tickets can be purchased at Click Here. The festival takes place at The Players Theatre: 115 MacDougal Street, NYC, 3rd Floor.
Week 3 Plays run Oct 19-21 at 7pm, Oct 22 at 3pm.
“The Kindness of Strangers”, written by Kathryn Loggins and directed by Justin Goldstein. Starring Charity Malden and Wallace “Panda” Pantaressi.
“Stupid Smart House”, written by Richard Lyons Conlon and directed by Mia Anderson. Starring Giorgio Jozef Varipapa, Carla Burbano, and Olivia White.
“The Red Men,” written by Jackson Montana and directed by Catherine Gold. Starring Eliza Vaan and Miranda Plant.
“Escape from Margaritaville”, written by Maeve Kelley Baker and directed by Sophie Ferrin. Starring Lee Simes, Brett Miller, Cavon Hendron, Catherine Luckenbach, Michelle Zink-Munoz, and Abigayle Leluttrell.
“Monstrous Villiany”, written by Rex McGregor and directed by Deborah De Lorenzo. Starring Maille-Rose Smith and Jackie Luke”.
For more information and play descriptions, visit Click Here.