The curtain is ready to rise on the Belmont Dramatic Club’s (BDC) inaugural play festival this week.
“We’re really excited and ready for the world to come and see it,” said Renne Walsh, a BDC board member.
The festival has been a year in the making, according to Walsh. BDC was first founded in 1903 and has put on hundreds of productions over its 120-year existence. Walsh said she was initially inspired by other local theaters to try BDC’s hand at putting on its own play festival for the first time.
Carlson and directed by Stephen Russo. (Courtesy Photo)
The festival marks a departure from the more traditional styles of theater the group has performed in the past; there are no elaborate sets, and the cast itself is an intimate, tight-knit group.
“There’s been some good bonding happening, and we’re just really excited to show the world something different, and what we’ve created together,” Walsh said.
BDC received nearly 100 short play entries, a list that was eventually narrowed down to the nine that will be performed. Each play has its own director, some of whom are making their directorial debut. Many of the 23 actors in the various shows are new to Belmont as well, Walsh said.
“A huge goal for us as well was to bring in new people that could say, ‘Wow, I did this!’” she said.
Each play is a maximum of 20-minutes, all centered around the theme “The Show Must Go On” — which is also the title of the festival. All the plays are written by New England writers.
“I think our theme is really going to resonate with people,” Walsh said. While some playwrights opted for plots centered around show business and a literal production that must go on, others took a different approach, tackling how people grieve and keep moving forward in the face of personal loss.
directed by Miranda Cashman.
Walsh warned that while there will be an abundance of laughter, some shows may bring a tear or two to peoples’ eyes.
“I think that’s what we’re really hoping audiences are going to get nine little chances to say, ‘Wow, I felt that,’” she said.
“The Show Must Go On” will be performed Nov. 14-22. Tickets can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/BDCScript1.