Orange County Arts Council

Opens Third Annual

Ten-Minute Play Festival at the

New Sugar Loaf Arts Center, Sugar Loaf, NY

 

(Chester, NY) Opening at the New Sugar Loaf Arts Center (Formerly The Lycian Centre) the Orange County Arts Council presents its third annual Ten-Minute Play Festival. The festival runs August 1st through 3rd, at 7:30pm each night.

 

“We are delighted to open the theater with this inclusive event.” Robert Valentine, Town of Chester Supervisor, “The Ten Minute Play Festival brings energy, excitement, and is a perfect example of how we, in the Town of Chester, want to work closely with the arts community to build engagement with the new Arts Center (Lycian).”

 

Twenty-four winning plays will be presented as book in hand readings during the festival.  To be included is a Story to Stage Workshop on Thursday.  The goal of the workshop is to turn stories from the participants into a Ten Minute Play, read as part of Saturday’s performance.

 

This year playwrights from all over the country were asked to submit scripts for the festival. A jury of professionals are reading the submissions and selecting the top twenty-four.

 

“By opening submissions to playwrights outside the County, and giving local actors and directors the opportunity to participate, the intent is to introduce local artists with emerging writers across the country. I believe this is a chance for our resident artists to make new connections.” Says Paul Ellis, the festival producer.

 

“In this festival, we’re bringing these works to the public to demonstrate how effective these productions can be.” Says Sarah McKay, OCAC executive director. “Ten-minute plays rely on the writer’s ability to take the audience through the same experience that a good one act or full-length play accomplishes. It has become a popular form of production; not a scene or a skit, but a real play, one that puts forth real emotion and engages audiences.”

 

Competition winners will be announced and posted on the Orange County Arts Council website in mid-July. Scheduled performances of the play festival will be posted on the website as well.

 

For more information on the Orange County Arts Council, workshops, opportunities for artists, memberships and more, please visit https://ocartscouncil.org or call (845) 469-9168.