An Improbable Peck of Plays 5

by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS

An Improbable Peck of Plays turns five this year, presented by Theater Artists Olympia (TAO) and the Northwest Playwrights Alliance in the Midnight Sun. Created in 2012, this annual event offers a series of locally written and produced short plays.

This fall’s lineup includes eight productions, helmed by directors Erin Chanfrau, Hannah Eklund, Andrea Gordon and Gabriel McClelland. While showcasing top-notch talent, An Improbable Peck of Plays also acts as a creative sandbox of sorts, in which playwrights, actors and directors are encouraged to experiment with their art. “Every season of Peck is a new experience,” said TAO’s artistic director, Pug Bujeaud. “The combination of both writing styles and directing styles in a single evening is invigorating. It is truly an evening of many voices. We can go from absurd comedy to profound tragedy in the first act alone.”

Local playwrights whose short plays will be produced this year are Tre Calhoun, Merridawn Duckler, Miryam Gordon, Betsy Hanson, Darren Hembd, Louise Perkins, Jake Rosendale and Eva Sutter (adapted by Kendra Phillips). The cast for volume 5 will be John Beck, Shannon O. Campbell, Jenni Fleming, Meghan Goodman, Katelyn Nicole, Sean Raybell, Tom Sanders and Victor Worrell.

Each year’s plays are chosen from a batch of 15 to 35 submissions, usually by the directors to suit their specific tastes. “Here we expand our repertoire even further than normal, and our repertoire is pretty expansive,” said Bujeaud. “We look even further outside the box.”

What: An Improbable Peck of Plays 5

Where: The Midnight Sun Performance Space,
113 Columbia St. N, Olympia

When: 8 p.m. Oct. 14, 15, 20-22;
10 p.m. Oct. 21 and 22;
2 p.m. Oct. 16

How much: $15 (Oct. 20 is pay-what-you-can)

Learn more: 360-292-5179 | TAO

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