IN THE UPPER ROOM

by Beaufield Berry DRAMA

6 WOMEN, 2 MEN

The Berrys are a multi-generational Black family living under one roof in Omaha in 1974. At the centre of the family is Rose, a controlling and mysterious matriarch, who instills fear in everyone. But the stories of her past don’t add up, and she’s hiding dark secrets. Rose’s gregarious son, John, and his wife, Janet, struggle to reclaim ownership in their own home, as Rose pits her teenage granddaughters, Yvette and Josephine, against each other, bring- ing issues of colourism and loyalty into the family dynamic. This is a play woven with storytelling, Black love, mysticism, family secrets, sisterhood and the ties that bind us all.

Beaufield Berry is a Midwest-based playwright, novelist, and arts education professional. Her work specifically takes on the drama, history and joy of the Black Diaspora, and has been seen at the Great Plains Theatre Conference, Philadelphia Sparkfest, Manhattan Rep, Colorado New Play Summit and across the country. Berry’s plays include IN THE UPPER ROOM (Denver Center) BUFFALO WOMEN and RED SUMMER, and she is currently the Resident Playwright at Creighton University.

Fairycakes

by Douglas Carter Beane

COMEDY

UP TO 19 ACTORS (GENDER-NEUTRAL CASTING ALLOWED)

What happens when those woodland fairies aren’t busy with the business of A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Why, it seems they all have jobs in some of our favourite fairy tales and have very sad love lives—that is, until Puck finds the famous flower touched by Cupid’s arrow. It’s all about love and kindness and accepting change. And it’s funny. Oh, and it rhymes.

Douglas Carter Beane is a five-time Tony Award nominated playwright and musical bookwriter. His plays include AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN, THE COUNTRY CLUB, THE NANCE, SHOWS FOR DAYS, MR. AND MRS. FITCH and THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED. Musicals include XANADU, LYSISTRATA JONES, SISTER ACT, and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA, each of which ran for two years on Broadway. His libretto for DIE FLEDERMAUS debuted at the Metropolitan Opera, and he wrote the film To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar, which starred Partrick Swayze, John Leguizamo, Robin Williams, and Stockard Channing.

BERTA, BERTA

by Angelica Chéri

DRAMA

1 WOMAN, 1 MAN

After committing an unforgivable crime, Leroy is granted one final wish: a chance to make amends with his long-lost lover, Berta. Their reunion swells from a quarrelsome conjuring of the past to an impassioned plot to escape their impending fate.

Angelica Chéri is a playwright, musical theatre bookwriter/lyricist, screenwriter and poet. Plays include THE SEEDS OF ABRAHAM, CROWNDATION, SLOW GIN FITS and BERTA, BERTA, and her work has been seen at Signature Theatre, North Carolina Black Repertory Company, National Black Theatre Festival, Contemporary American Theatre Festival and others. Chéri and collaborator Ross Baum received the Richard Rodgers Award for their musical GUN & POWDER, which has been selected for the 30th annual NAMT Festival of New Musicals.

Nomad Motel

by Carla Ching

DRAMA

2 WOMEN, 3 MEN

On the not-so-sunny side of California, Alix bounces between motel rooms, taking care of her brothers for her MIA mother. Mason lives comfortably in a grand, empty house while his father runs jobs for the Hong Kong Triad. Until the day his father disappears and Mason has to figure out how to come up with grocery money and dodge Child Services and the INS. Mason and Alix develop a tentative friendship, and together they must learn to scrape by without giving up their dreams. Will they make it out or fall through the cracks?