2024 One-Act Festival
August 2-11
Congratulations to the honorees at the 2024 Silver Spring Stage One-Act Festival!
Outstanding Show: “Snack Machine Blues” by Chuck Smith, dir. Seth Ghitelman, music dir. Zoe Fischthal
Runner-up: “Close Inncounters” by Anthony Pezzula, dir. Pauline Griller-Mitchell, asst. dir. Teresa Gillcrist
Second runner-up: “Choices” by James McLindon, dir. Mercedes Blankenship
Audience Favorite, Week One: “Case of the Missing Know-It-All” by Mark Saunders, dir. by Yehuda Goldman
Audience Favorite, Week Two: “Snack Machine Blues”
Best Script: “The Death of Boson X” by David Malouf
Weekend One: August 2-4
“Tofana Bobana” by Peter Boyer, dir. by Lorraine Brooks
A horror spoof in which women flip the script on the stereotypical serial killer.
Ashley: Melina Gross
Harriet: Kelci Friend
Bethany: Juanisha Brooks
Frankie: Diego Maramba
“It Was a Dark and Stormy Night When” by Bohdan Dowhaluk, dir. by Caro Dubberly
A film-noir look at the conflict between logic and mystery, reality and an escape from reality, and loyalties and betrayals.
Phil Knorr: Elijah Rakha-Sheketoff
Alice: Darcy Fowler
Kowalsky: Jonathan Blansfied
Tony: Jack Mayo
“The Death of Boson X” by David Malouf, dir. by Peter Orvetti
What happens when a world-changing AI takes matters into its own virtual hands?
Jordan: Melina Gross
Dr. Alex Burrows: Karen Lawrence
Merrill Hastings: Alayna Theunissen
Boson X: Kim Cincotti-Seldon
“Close Inncounters” by Anthony Pezzula, dir. Pauline Griller-Mitchell, asst. dir. Teresa Gillcrist
A light look at those who espouse conspiracy theories.
Donnie Mattice: Vedant Sharma
Emma Betruger: Nancy Sommers
Sadie Smith: Morgan Fuller
Stranger: Alan Gonzales Bisnes
“Case of the Missing Know-It-All” by Mark Saunders, dir. by Yehuda Goldman
What happens when an aging Sherlock Holmes, now with a family of his own, is forced into retirement before he’s ready? A twist on how one strange family deals with retirement.
Mr. Holmes: John Purnell
Mrs. Holmes: Julia Frank
Annie: Mary Pryal
Irene: Elina Lingappa
Weekend Two: August 9-11
“Choices” by James McLindon, dir. Mercedes Blankenship
A debtor burdened by crushing student loans is offered a way out… but is the deal too good to be true?
Client: Courtney Naughton
Counselor: Hart Wood
“No Transferable Skills” by Kathleen Roult, dir. Jen Katz, asst. dir. Suzanne Kang
Superman — er, Clark Kent — meets with a career counselor.
Clark: Mark Regini
Mrs. Jenkins: Selina Tom-Johnson
Wanda Worman: Juanisha Brooks
Louise: Emma Wesslund
“Little Free Library” by Bill Schauman, dir. Matthew Bannister
A couple interacts with a Little Free Library that seems to be sending them some strange messages.
Brian: Thomas Friend
Sharon: Kerala Bannister
Passer-by: Matthew Bannister
Passer-by: Nancy Somers
“Snack Machine Blues” by Chuck Smith, dir. Seth Ghitelman, music dir. Zoe Fischthal
The hidden world of a vending machine in a Dallas rendering plant that’s about to close. The company hasn’t restocked the vending machine and, slowly, each of the remaining snacks is chosen by customers. Some are willing to go down the chute because it’s their destiny, but others are not.
Baked Potato Chips: Matthew Dantas-McCutheon
Debbie: Nancy Sommers
Frito: Alan Gonzales Bisnes
Granola Bar: Sophie Shampande
Armadillo Slim Jim: Steve Malone
Cheese Doodle: Nadia Abouraya
Set construction: Steve Leshin
Costumes: Jennifer Morrisey
Sound designer: Rich Frangiamore
“Heard Mentality” by Allison Fradkin, dir. by Jen Katz, asst. dir. Shaq Stewart
Ada may be hard of hearing, but she certainly isn’t hard of fearing how her first date will go. Will Ada’s new hearing aids aid and abet her insecurities? Or will they persuade her to see the versatility of her disability? And if so, will she hear them out?
Ada: Michelle Norris
Left E: Kerala Bannister
Right E: Gill Rydholm
“The Worst Hallmark Christmas Movie Never Made” by Les Abromovitz, dir. Jacqueline Youm, asst. dir. Andy Mauer
Two novice screenwriters collaborate on a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie. But will this become a real-life rom-com?
Steven Schaub: Camden Salguero
Wanda Wilson: Morgan Hawkins
Production Team:
Producers: Jen Katz, Shaq Stewart, Emma Wesslund
Sound: Shaq Stewart
Lights: Don Slater
Stage Managers: Kristen Temple and Lena Winter
Play Reading Team: Pauline Griller-Mitchell, Suzanne Kang, Jen Katz, Emma Wesslund