ACTING UP! 2026
A Showcase of
One Acts
August 21 at 7:30
August 22 at 3 & 7:30
at High Plains Community Center,
525 Orange Center Road
Orange, CT 06477
Tickets are $28 and can be purchased online or at the door. Cash or check only available in person. We are not accepting reservations for tables. If you require special seating please call our box office at 475-227-7547.
Acting Up! is a production of original, unpublished ten-minute one act plays. We have 10 amazing plays brought to life on our stage by our talented directors and actors to bring you a theatre experience like no other. These plays are humorous, dramatic, thought-provoking, and poignant, there is something for everyone!
Plays may contain adult language and content.
THE PLAYS
37 Origami Bees
by Jacquelyn Priskorn
After 37 years of marriage, Max has passed, and Jo isn't sure what to do. But through Rae, the home hospice nurse, Max may have one last gift for Jo.
Benny & Boris
by Morley Shulman
A park bench on a summer day: this is where we find two old friends shooting the breeze over their weekly card game. But today, the usual lighthearted shmoozing evolves into something deeper…
Cricket by Emily Osgood
Minutes before a funeral and still in her bathrobe, Elsie follows a mysterious chirping sound...
The Diary Of Maria
by Dave Huber
After the school play, Maria knows her dad is not coming to pick her up and Maria’s director, must decide if he can do what any decent person would do.
The Fantasy of Hope
by John Mabey
A second chance at first love requires both fantasy and hope as these characters delve into the joys and struggles of queer love across generations.
Geronimo! by F.J. Hartland
To jump off the roof or NOT to jump off the roof. That is the question for two young brothers.
I Saw What You Said
by Steven Korbar
Two women who have a had a political fight on social media run into each other at a store and have to work out their differences face to face.
A Promising Young Man
by Ken Preuss
A man with a penchant for promising finds himself in a romantically precarious position as a trio of women come to cash in on the commitments.
Sorry, Shakespeare by Ken Levine
Shakespeare is rejected by a ten-minute play festival in Liverpool and does not take it well.
A Throne For The Holidays
by Margie Semilof
Once again, Richard has bought Jill the holiday gift of his dreams, thus taking his gadget addiction to a whole new level.
Playwrights
F. J. Hartland (Geronimo!) • Dave Huber (The Diary Of Maria) • Steven Korber (I Saw What You Said) • Ken Levine (Sorry, Shakespeare) • John Mabey (The Fantasy of Hope) • Emily Osgood (Cricket), Ken Preuss (A Promising Young Man) • Jacquelyn Priskorn (37 Origami Bees) • Margie Semilof (A Throne For The Holidays) • Morley Shulman (Benny & Boris)
Directors
Amelia Brenner (37 Origami Bees) • Cindy Harrus (I Saw What You Said) • Maggi Heilweil (Benny & Boris) • Kelly Lazenby (Sorry, Shakespeare) • Tayvon Martin (Assistant Director, Geronimo!) • Zariya Paige (A Throne For The Holidays) • Dawn Reiss-Melillo (Geronimo!) • Emma Schwartz (Cricket) • Hugh Tucker (A Promising Young Man) • Bill Wiltsie (The Diary of Maria) • Janine M. Wolfe (The Fantasy of Hope)
Producers Cyndi Consoli • Noah Golden
Technical Director John Miller
Stage Manager Amy Craw
Lighting Engineer Grant Ossendryver
Sound Engineer Richard Ives
Lighting Board Operator Ken Lenz
Props Consultant Shelby Zold
Cast
Cordell Baker • Rene Calixto • David Carlson • TJ Chila • Katie Farrell • Richard Gaudiosi • Barry Hatrick • Jason Jossick • Lily Beth Kuhn • Jennifer Lane • Justin Lazenby • Colleen Leary • Bob Lee • Tina Marie Manus • Adriana Medina • Caroline Morrissey • Doug Olah • Joseph Roman • Daniel Sbriglio • Tom Schmidt • Meghan Scopelliti • Paul C. Temptleton • Christine Thomson • Hugh Tucker • Susan Anderson Whitlock
This production is funded in part by a generous grant from Orange Foundation Trust, UA, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee.
In Rehearsal
