2024 SacTown Play Festival

Thank you for joining us at our 3rd Annual SacTown Play Festival that featured the works of aspiring playwrights!

At the festival, each of the playwrights scripts were be performed and a panel of judges (local theatre professionals) determined the winners for Best Playscript ($200 prize), Best Directing and Staging ($100 prize – Sponsored by Bantique Chiropractic), and the Holliday Award

In addition, the audience had the chance to select their favorite play ($100 prize – Sponsored by Noble Way Pest Control) as well as who they thought the Best Actor and Best Actress of the festival was!

Here are the winners!

  • Best Playscript – Seoul by Courtney Symes
  • Best Directing and Staging – Jay Collins-Patrick for Generational Gap by Brevon McArn
  • Audience Choice Award – Seoul by Courtney Symes
  • Holliday Award – Cattaryna Tekin (Rainbow Bridge,  A Chance to Forgive, and Budget Airlines)
  • Best Actress – Kyra Iliana Obanil in Seoul by Courtney Symes
  • Best Actor – Stanley Marcellus Simons in Generational Gap by Brevon McArn

The Finalists

The below finalists were blindly chosen out of a record number of entries by a panel of judges and will have their scripts produced at the Festival in September. Here they are (see below for info on each of their plays).

  • Seoul by Courtney Symes
  • Racist by Francine Schwartz
  • Rainbow Bridge by Lisa Marciano
  • A Chance to Forgive by Chad Eldridge
  • Generational Gap by Brevon McArn
  • Budget Airlines Flight 116 by Bruce Guelden

SPONSORS

WHEN

Saturday, September 28 at 1pm (Doors open 30 minutes to curtain)

VENUE

Royal Stage Theatre (inside Sunrise Mall)
6174 Sunrise Blvd., Citrus Heights, CA 95610

NOTE: Royal Stage is located on the North side near Macy’s men’s.

TICKETS

  • $10 – online
  • $12 – at the door
BUY TICKETS

Seoul

Written by Courtney Symes
Directed by Wesley Murphy and Rebecca Redmond

Synopsis

A young Korean mother finds herself fighting for survival in a war she doesn’t understand. She is raising her two young daughters after being widowed and unexpectedly finds love again with an American soldier. When he is called to be stationed in Germany, she holds on his promise that he will come back for her. After some time passes, she finds herself alone and with an additional mouth to feed. She realizes she must make some difficult decisions. Does she choose to wait for the love she never thought she’d find again or does she take a route of security and comfort?

Cast List

  • Kyra Iliana Obanil as HYUN
  • Nerissa Ann Feranil as HAJA
  • Cole Stieferman as EUGENE
  • Braden Delgado as JAMES

Racist

Written by Francine Schwartz
Directed by Bender Kynaston

Synopsis

A cafe. The time is the present. A black man and white woman are seated at separate tables. He’s on his cell phone, speaking loudly, clearly upset by the call. After the call ends, he apologizes to the woman for being loud and that begins their conversation. His son has been passed up for a job he deserved and the man is convinced it was due to racism. There’s a palpable tension and combativeness between the man and woman from the beginning, but also a certain attraction and familiarity. Each brings up elements from their past experiences, relationships, and how perceived racism and prejudice played a part. Their replay of past events and beliefs that have brought them to where they are now brings up the question of whether or not they really are as liberal as they each believe they are. Not just the woman, but also the man. In a sense, they are mirrors for each other.

Cast List

  • Beth Sheridan as Lyla
  • Moe Better Mann as Sam

Generational Gap

Written by Brevon McArn
Directed by Jay Collins-Patrick

Synopsis

A young care provider and an older man in an assisted living facility attempt to understand each other and the burdens each one carries despite differences in age, race, and background.

Cast List

  • Stanley Marcellus Simons as Michael
  • Ken Thompson as James

About the Festival

The SacTown Play Festival has been designed with the goal to inspire, educate, and nurture artists and our community towards a thoughtful and humane world view through the art of story-telling.

We desire to help theatre artists find their voices, cultivate social consciousness, and prepare for a lasting career. The Festival supports new AND established playwrights and incubates new plays.

We seek to make a lasting, life-long impression on our community – inspiring the audience to continue provocative conversations long after the curtain closes.

Festival participants (Playwrights) scripts were chosen blindly based on script creativity, characterization, and staging potential. The festival will feature these 1-Act plays written by these aspiring playwrights.

A Look at the 2024 SacTown Play Festival

Budget Airlines Flight 116

Written by Bruce Guelden
Directed by Emma Eldridge

Synopsis

Budget Airlines is a small, struggling airline company that currently holds the Guinness World Record for lost luggage. This lovable–but slightly dysfunctional–flight crew are here to escort you on your next 6-hour flight to Hawaii. Budget Airlines has recently teamed-up with “Elan Misk” (and Tesla Automotive) to develop the first solar powered aircraft. Needless to say, things do not go well. Enjoy the flight…but please keep your seatbelt on.

Cast List

  • Chad Eldridge as Todd
  • Ronnie Duska Fowler as Mary
  • Cattaryna Tekin as Jenna
  • Jason Markiewitz as Wrong Way Corrigan

Rainbow Bridge

Written by Lisa Marciano
Directed by Beth Sheridan

Synopsis

Arlo stands on the precipice of life at the edge of Rainbow Bridge, imagining that death is better than this life that “sucks.” Zephyr appears out of nowhere, trying to convince Arlo to reconsider the jump, with the idea that it may be the “Call of the Void”—intrusive thoughts of forcing oneself to jump off a treacherous height. Arlo confronts Zephyr’s need to interfere due to the guilt over not being able to stop the jump. Can Zephyr help Arlo see the truth—that no one wants to end their life? And that, just maybe, jumping off Rainbow Bridge is really Arlo’s craving for the exhilaration of life, when adrenaline is pumping, with a sense of feeling invincible, and being truly happy just to be alive. Rainbows bring hope, and Arlo chose this bridge. Is it possible to find a new perspective on life from a whisp of a breeze on Rainbow Bridge?

Cast List

  • Shirley Sayers as Arlo
  • Cattaryna Tekin as Zephyr

A Chance to Forgive

Written by Chad Eldridge
Directed by Kate Murris

Synopsis

A young man, Casey, is on a transit bus on his way to work when he starts up a conversation with a young woman, Mira, whom he thinks is a stranger. Upon discovering she’s an old high school classmate he had conflict with, he tries to apologize to her, but she’s unreceptive, wanting to get away from him. Explaining that he just wants to find closure with her, she stays.

Cast List

  • John Goodin as Casey
  • Cattaryna Tekin as Mira

Press

Studio 40 Interview

Watch It Here!