Welcome to our fourth annual one-minute play festival!
Orlando Fringe ArtSpace, march 7th, 7:00pm
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About the competition:
Twelve outstanding local playwrights will receive a secret prompt during a live show. They will have ten minutes to write a completely new, original, one-minute play! These are then performed for the audience and you will have a chance to VOTE on the winner!
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About whiskey theatre factory:
The mission of The Whiskey Theatre Factory is to produce, develop, and celebrate emerging, untapped, and historically excluded voices. To accomplish our mission, we produce meaningful shows that provide opportunities for playwrights, directors, actors, designers, and technical theatre-makers in our community to grow.
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Show Team:
Producers - Bethany Dickens Assaf and Charis Watler
Hosts - Charis Watler and Arius West
Graphic design support - Kimberly Murray-Patel
Stage Manager - Josh Cassady
Program
Welcome and Introductions
Readings of past Winners (“Hybrid Variety” by Liz Coley, “Cupcake” by Ava Love Hanna, and “The polasek museum of natural history” by Kimberly murray-patel)
Competition Details and playwrights: READY SET GO!
Drinking Game
Intermission/Live Music - Sarah mcquiggan
One-Minute Script Readings!
Voting Period/Live Music - Sarah Mcquiggan
Winner Announcement
Final Toast and goodnight!
up next for wtf and our friends!
Meet the competition Playwrights!
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Ashley Alonso is a local Orlando Playwright and Poet. Most recently, her play "The Devils Coda", a horror-drama about generational trauma, was produced as part of Breakthrough Theatre's New Play Festival. Her comedy, "When Death Enters Unannounced", was also produced by Playwrights Round Table as part of their Native Voices event, She also co-produces Play Date, where they create free community-based engagements for artists to come together to experiment and workshop their creative skills. When she's bored, she paints D&D minis and makes cute little clay things! :)
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Billie Jane Aubertin is an award winning actor and writer with a passion for queer-centric stories. A frequent producer at the Orlando Fringe Festival, Billie has been fortunate enough to take home an award with each show she has presented there. In 2019, her autobiographical one woman show “Daphne & Me'' won the Audience Choice Award for being the highest selling show in her venue. In 2021, her show “JUDAS" had a completely sold out run and was awarded Patron’s Pick, a Critic’s Choice Award for Best Original Script, and was named “Best of the Fest'' by the Orlando Sentinel. Equal parts actor and writer, her performance in her show “Stag Night” won her a Critic’s Choice Award for Best Overall Performance (Comedy) in 2022. As a writer, Billie is passionate about championing trans stories and hopes her plays can offer the representation and illumination the trans community deserves in a time that merely existing feels like an act of defiance.
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Liz Bernstein is a Florida local, originally from historic St. Augustine. She's a collective member of Whiskey Theatre Factory, and her theatre endeavors in Orlando have mainly been with this wonderful group of people. Liz has a background in training and development, mental health counseling, writing and performance. She also loves karaoke and books about magic.
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Andy Haynes is an award winning and published playwright currently living in Winter Garden.
Andy has participated for many years in Orlando’s Play In A Day festival receiving top honors on several occasions. With a passion for themed entertainment, his writing can also be found in several local theme parks and he currently serves on the board of directors for Slice Creative Network, an association of themed entertainment freelancers. Andy also adjudicates for local thespian competitions, judging playwriting and screenwriting for junior and senior thespians at both district and state levels.
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Aimee LeCours is a Florida based stand-up comedian, improvisor, mom, and licensed mental health counselor. You may have seen her at the Orlando Improv, Don't Tell Orlando, and on the Second City stage and Lincoln Lodge in Chicago. She produces and hosts Psych! A Stand-Up Therapy Comedy Show. She was recently a semi-finalist in the Florida's Funniest Comedian Competition.
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Max has been a frequent artist collaborator of Whiskey Theatre Factory since June 2022. His play La Medéa was produced by The Renaissance Theatre Company in January 2022, which has been listed in the Orlando Sentinel in several of its "Orlando's Best of 2022" theatre articles. His work focuses on intersections of multiculturalism, multilingualism, and revitalizing our classics for the audience of today.
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Ken Preuss is a Florida-based writer who became a teacher to guarantee an audience 5 days a week. His plays have been produced in Australia, Canada, China, England, Germany, Guatemala, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Thailand, and all 50 States.
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Irene L. Pynn’s plays include Suture Bowl, Enter, Pursued by a Whale, How to Field Dress an Android, and several others. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild. Irene holds an MFA in writing from Seton Hill University and a PhD in Texts and Technology from the University of Central Florida.
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Ricky Rodriguez-Rios is more than excited to be working with Whiskey Theatre Factory for the first time. Over the last 8 years, Ricky has been working as a professional actor for both the stage and screen, recently portraying Robert Dubedat in "Don’t Dress for Dinner" at Osceola Arts, as well as a multitude of characters with The Murder Mystery Company. Along with performing, Ricky has made his writing debut this month with his parody jukebox musical "The Totally Unofficial, Unimaginably Sexy Life of Danny Sexbang (and Ninja Brian)".
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Scott Sauls is a ticketing software salesman by day and an aspiring playwright by night. Born and raised in Oklahoma with a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and post graduate studies in Creative Writing at the University of Central Oklahoma. My first play ‘The Horseman’s Seed’ received a stage reading directed by James Rayfield at the freeFall Theatre in St. Petersburg and a developmental reading at Player Playwrights in London. Currently I have two plays in development 'Gaia Explains It All - An Interview with the Mother of the Universe' and 'Renfield' a reimagining of the classic play Dracula. Acting credits include Allan Strang in Equus and John Merrick in 'The Elephant Man' at Performer's Studio Workshop.
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BENOIT TEVES is thrilled to be a part of this annual writing tradition with Whiskey Theatre Factory! A lifelong theatre artist and logophile, Benoit is excited to continue his scribal transition from stage to page here with you tonight. In addition to writing for the theatre, Benoit writes reviews and essays on film, television, and theatre for his blog, The Rec Room, and for The Orlando Performer. A special thank you goes to his husband, Corey, for being alright with it when Benoit vanishes into the literary abyss to write for stretches of time. // Favorite Performance Credits: Poseidon’s Fury at Universal Orlando (Taylor), The Fantasticks (Matt), 25th Annual…Spelling Bee (Coneybear), It Should Been You (Greg), Mean Gays (Kory), and backup vocal work for Kristin Chenoweth, Josh Groban, Barry Manilow, and Duran Duran. // Education: Florida School of the Arts (A.S. Musical Theatre), Union Institute & University (B.S. Secondary Education - English). // Instagram: @ben.teves
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Katie Thayer is an actor, improviser, and playwright living in Central Florida. She received her BFA in Theatre from UCF with a minor in Creative Writing. As a Playwright, many of her works have been performed by Playwrights Round Table and at the Orlando Fringe. Her 10 Minute play, Graceland, can be found in The Best Ten- Minute Plays 2014.
Meet the Actors and musician
Isaiah Entzminger (Actor) is honored to be working with Whiskey Theatre Factory for the very first time. He would like to thank everyone involved for having him and he hopes that he will be participating in many more. Isaiah is from Richmond, Virginia where his love for theatre started. Since being in Florida he has had the pleasure of acting with and for Valencia College, Playwrights Roundtable, and MAC BOYS Entertainment. He would also like to thank the following people for welcoming him into the family; Chuck Dent, Avis-Marie Barnes, Clark Levi, Tara Kromer, Blue Estrella, Arius West, Christopher Payne, Maurice Mallard, Katie Thayer, Contona Thomas, Latoya Faye and especially Sharon McKay-Anguin. If he missed anyone, it wasn't on purpose. Keep creating!
Bekah Lugo (Actor) is so excited to be working with Whiskey Theatre Factory in an official capacity for the first time! Her real life job is at the Renaissance Theatre Company where she helps manage all of the events at the Ren and works to help each production be successful. That’s different for every show and she loves it. She’d like to thank her friends and family for all of their love and support during this time in her life and she hopes you enjoy the show. Recent Performance Credits: Camilla Office Holiday Party Extravaganza Show, Maggie in Beacon Street, Nurse in Dos Familias.Her favorite shows that she’s stage managed are Josephine, part of Bright Young Things, and Lenox Ave.
Emily Lupfer (Actor) is delighted to be celebrating with Whiskey Theatre Factory where she has previously appeared in a variety of short plays and staged readings. She is currently on a regional tour of Yo, Ho, Ho! Let’s Go! with Orlando Family Stage, and can be spotted performing at SeaWorld Orlando, in dinner shows and teatime experiences at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, or typing away as a freelance copywriter and editor. She’s excited to be back with WTF this May for The Saints of West Orange County at Orlando Fringe.
Sarah McQuiggan (Musician) is thrilled to play a part in tonight’s 1 Minute Play Competition! Sarah is a singer, actor, and musician originally from Orlando. She earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of West Florida. She’s recently moved back to Florida after working for two years at Silver Dollar City, a theme park in Branson, MO. While there, she performed in numerous shows and musicals. In the coming months, you can find Sarah performing at Sleuths Mystery Dinner Shows on International Drive and at Walt Disney World. @sarahmcquiggan
Arius West (Host) graduated from the University of Central Florida with his bachelor’s in Theatre, Education, & Stage Combat. He is a performer, teaching artist, and director around the greater Central Florida area. He has worked on productions and projects at The Orlando REP, The Renaissance Theatre Company, CFCArts, ArtReach Orlando, Michelee Puppets, and even SeaWorld & Disney with students K-12 and adults up to 65+. In addition, Arius is a Co-Founder of MAC Boys Entertainment whose main prerogative is to increase black talent on stage and black people in the audience, and to entertain the community with stories FOR us BY us because we are more than our pain and trauma. In the near future, the company will help tell all BIPOC stories.
Some of his most notable works are An Octoroon as BJJ/George/M’Closky, Lenox Ave as a Principal Performer, Aida as Choreographer, Theatre Explorers as a Lead Teaching Artist, and The Colored Museum as a Director.
Reese Twilia (Actor) is a local creative in the Orlando scene and is ecstatic to be making his WTF acting debut in the 1 Minute Play Competition! He currently works at Gatorland as a full-time performer, wrangling alligators and doing shows with venomous snakes, but greatly enjoys any chance there is to be a part of the Orlando theatre community. Reese graduated from Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN with a double major in Acting & Directing, a minor in Playwriting, and a passion for puppets and all things strange! He has recently appeared in 2023's Orlando Play-in-a-Day!, the Ensemble Company's production of The Inheritance, and runs a monthly play reading group here in the city.
Thank you to Orlando Fringe and artspace for making this event possible!
Glitter Photo by Katie Harp on Unsplash
