Blank Page Theatre Company's Summer 2022 Festival

Founded by Lauren Shields and Zakk Ottmers, Blank Page aims to raise questions about our social climate to facilitate conversations about the world that we find ourselves living in today. By bringing live, accessible theatre to New York communities, Blank Page aims to create conversations and start to change the world in which we live in by focusing on and raising awareness of different social issues every year. Now in its first year, this year's festival focuses on themes of isolation and its impact on mental health.

Synopsis: This play is a full length play which follows two half sisters, Brie and Thea. Brie wants to escape her childhood trauma from their mother but Thea is still living in it and needs her to get through hers. Brie, a once child actor, and Thea, a competitive cheerleader, become beacons for their mother’s lost Olympic Diving Team dreams, being forced to perform at their greatest, even when they didn’t want to. The sisters relationship unravels and they push each other to their emotional limit. This play explores our theme of isolation for this festival by our need to be loved and have others see us as who we are without what we do and where we come from.

From the playwright: "I wrote Diving Pools because I was thinking a lot about how we show trauma and heeling on stage."

CAST:

• Brie: Avalon Belle (U/S Lexi Heuser)
• Thea: Anna Medley (U/S Natalie Marsan)
• Damien: Kelechi Udenkwo (U/S Nate Stosius)

PRODUCTION TEAM:

• Director: Lauren Shields
• Stage Manager: Rabiah Rowther

This one act play follows Clark and his imaginary Clown, who normally can’t be seen, and their unlikely friendship with Edie, who shares in Clark’s imagination. This piece follows our theme of isolation by the characters feeling weighed down by their isolation but finding similarities in each other.

From the playwright: I wrote Riding Lessons hoping to use comedy to show how people often struggle with life-long problems that most can't see."

CAST:

• Clark: Justin Schulsohn (U/S Nate Stosius)
• Edie: Anna Medley (U/S Nicole Stewart)
• Clown: Donovan Fowler (U/S Parker Jenkins)

PRODUCTION TEAM:

• Director: Zakk Ottmers
• Stage Manager: Rabiah Rowther

Synopsis: This full length play follows Matilda and her computerized sister, Greta. As Matilda ages, she experiences trials which causes her to question the meaning of family, love, grief, and commitment. This play explores our theme of isolation by delving into what defines family and how community is one of the most important tools to fighting loneliness.

From the playwright: "I wanted to write something that was small, but huge -- intimate, but epic."

CAST:

• Greta: Natalie Marsan (U/S Carly Cooper)
• Matilda: Lexi Heuser (U/S Carly Cooper)

PRODUCTION TEAM:

• Director: Zakk Ottmers
• Stage Manager: Parker Jenkins

This one act piece follows two strangers who meet in the woods during the middle of the night. Nell is experiencing troubles with her identity and Luke is dealing with depression. Due to the interesting circumstances, both characters get to talking and realize they have more in common than originally believed. This play explores our theme of isolation for this festival by the realization that others around you could be feeling the same thing that you are and friendship is found in many different ways.

From the playwright: "I'm sure it started with a feeling, and that feeling was connected to the want/need of connection with other people."

CAST:

• Luke: Andrew Young (U/S Jesse Kinsler)
• Nell: Nicole Stewart (U/S Carly Cooper)

PRODUCTION TEAM:

• Director: Lauren Shields
• Co-Stage Managers: Donovan Fowler and Rabiah Rowther

Host or Publisher Blank Page Theatre Company