Theatre Southwest Presents The 13th Annual Festival of Originals. Currently on stage through July 31.
This year’s exciting Festival promises to be the highlight of Theatre Southwest’s Season. With over 400 scripts submitted and only a few chosen, The Festival (generally called the FOO, for short) consists of 5 short original plays (roughly 20 minutes each) with 5 different directors and 5 different casts, FOO is the crème de la crème of Houston Theatre.

The plays in order of appearance are -

1) “Books on Tape” - Comedy
A man and woman have picked each other up in a New York bookstore.
They both want to make love, but she is only "turned on" if she is listening to a recording of books, or is being narrated to with a love story. He finds this too mentally exhausting.

Written by: William Missouri Downs of Richards Park, WY
Directed by: Kathy Drum
Cast includes Sudeane Holmes and Scott Holmes

2) “Little Tricks” - Drama
A brother tries to get his sister committed to a mental institution so he can be the sole heir to the family fortune. andHe brings a psychiatrist Home, who pretends to be helping the sister write a book. The play has many psychological twists and turns.

Written by: Carl L. Williams of Houston
Directed by Malinda L. Beckham.
Cast includes Kelly Walker, Jay Menchaca, and John Stevens

3) “How Can I Tell if It's Love?” - Comedy
A spoof on 1950's films shown in middle schools and high schools. A young couple try to discover what love is. The girl asks advice from her June Cleaver type mother and the boy from his mother who has seen better days. Finally, a list of compatibility that the mother of the girl supplied leads to final decisions. This is narrated as if it is a lesson teaching film.

Written by: Rand Higbee of Red Wing, MN
Directed by: James Reed
Cast includes Lance Stodghill, Eileen Tucker, Taylor Biltoft,
Vicky McCormick, and Stacy A. Spaeth.

4) “A Gentler Place” – Mystery / Drama
A dead body is found in the backyard of a young couple. The local sheriff is called, but is he who he says he is? Does he have anything to hide? And mostly how will the couple handle whatever truth they have found? The script is always a little ahead of the audience.

Written by: Jeff Carter of San Francisco, CA
Directed by: Lisa Schofield
Cast includes Katie Basch, John Hawthorne Smith and Russell Prince.

5) “Every Parent’s Friend” - Off the Wall Comedy
An overwrought mother brings her 3 daughters in to Every Parent's Friend. The girls' behavior is greatly improved with the help of a remote control. Before and after demonstrations.

Written by: Ed Vela of Los Angeles, CA and Houston, TX
Directed by: Trevor Cone
Cast includes Patti White, Dottie, McQuairrie,
Sydney Dunlap, Sadie Brook, Katherine E. Brooke and Kate Samuelson

The Festival of Originals is Produced by Mimi Holloway.

Don’t miss The Festival of Originals – FOO at Theatre Southwest.

When: July 16 - July 31
Fridays and Saturdays @ 8:00 pm
Matinee, July 25 @ 3:00 pm

Where: Theatre Southwest - 8944 Clarkcrest, Houston, TX 77063

Tickets are $13.00
email tickets@theatresouthwest.org
or phone (713) 661 9505