711 Theatre Project » 711 Select – showcase June 17 & 18

711 Select features award-winning and special selection short plays June 17 & 18 at 8pm. Credit/debit card advance ticket purchases are available at MidwesTIX for $10 each. Tickets will be $15 each by cash/check at the box office starting 1 hour prior to performances. Save time in line and money in your pocket – buy in advance.

After wrapping up a sold-out weekend of the 5th Annual 711 Theatre Project, we are ecstatic to announce a special selection of short plays from the event on June 17 & 18, 8pm at Grand View University Viking Theatre (2811 E 14th St). Performances include the 2011 711 Theatre Project Best of Show winner “Holding Out For A Hero” by Incoherent Theatre Company.

This past weekend, over 120 theatrical artists from around Iowa performed 18 short-plays which were newly created in just 7 days. From those 18, these short plays have been selected for their own showcase of performances by the 711 Committee based upon a variety of the plays’ strengths, including: artistic ability, theatrical merit, and audience response.

Performances each night feature the work of 32 theatrical artists and are suitable for audiences age 8 and older:

• “Lost And Found” (children’s interactive)
  Performed by WhirlYgigs: Mary Bricker, Evan Hay, Kristin Larson, Craig Petersen, Joe Smith, Korey Williams.
• “Seeds Of Sorrow” (melodrama)
  Performed by Situational Irony: Ally Bates, Scott Baumeister, Emilye C. Brown, Sean Giese, Matt Lemken, Peter Lemken, Jake Pomeroy.
• “Where Is Home?” (tragedy)
  Performed by Lobsterman Productions: Sydney M. Allen, Aaron Paul Homard, Mary Tobin. Homard’s performance Saturday garnered him a Best Actor award from the 711 Theatre Project.
• “Luckiest Man Alive” – La Merde (noir)
  Performed by La Merde: Emma Frank, Zachary Frank, Megan Hanson, Amy McNaul, Bridget Pedersen, Brandon Ritchie. La Merde received the Rising Star award for Ensemble achievement.
  *** intermission ***
• “Journeyman Forever: The Death Of Sal Miller, Inspired By The Movie ‘Precious’, Based On The Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire … Or Whatever Works, It Sounded Better In My Head” (comedy)
  Performed by Whatever Works: Jerad Cherniss, Travis Cherniss, Lyra Halsten, Hubert Lundberg, Laura Lundberg, Sydney Lundberg, Jason Peppers, Jeremiah Tuttle.
• “Mother’s Day In November” (women’s theatre)
  Performed by Banana Punch: John M. Donovan, Rebekah Maxwell, Preshia Paulding. Paulding earned a Best Actress award for her performance last weekend.
• “Holding Out For A Hero” (romance)
  The 2011 Best of Show is performed by Incoherent Theatre Company: Eric Bench, John Cisar, Jolene Gentzler, Joseph Gentzler, Susan Gulbranson, Cory Hug, David Kaniuk Jr. The Incoherents also received these awards: Judges’ Choice, Audience Choice, Best Direction, Best Playwriting, Best Ensemble Performance in the 2011 711 Theatre Project.

Joseph & Jolene Gentzler featured in 2011 711 Theatre Project Best of Show - Incoherent Theatre Company - ‘Holding Out For A Hero’ (click photo for print quality image)