I had the honor to be invited to last night’s final dress rehearsal of WordWave, and let me tell you, it is yet another stellar production put on by our incredibly talented local theatre folk. In this time where scrolling screens and streaming is how we entertain ourselves, we just need to get out and sit in a theatre and hear words from real humans, sharing stories of life.
This is the eleventh year of WordWave, a competition for playwrights from all over. Kudos to Ginger Nicolay-Davis and Diana Evans, who created this Festival of Story!
This year, 120 one-act plays were submitted, and the final three are absolutely terrific. All three writers traveled to Tahoe, and they introduced their plays and gave just a tease of the backstory. My favorite part of the WordWave experience is the surprise factor. Only the titles of the plays are listed in the program; no synopses are given.
The Rules by Domenick Scudera is the first play, and wow, it is intense. Poignantly written and performed by two seasoned actors, Erik Baker and Ethan Niven, who exchange gritty and witty dialogue that never takes a pause. Heavy subject matter delivered humorously. The play is directed by Joe Herold.
The Faint Scent of Amanda, written by G. Bruce Smith, is an excellent story, albeit heartbreaking. These two actors are simply fantastic, using subtle changes in mannerisms and clothing to convey emotion and connect with the audience. And changes in body language, plus adding a prop or two, were genius. I cried. The play is directed by Nannette Niven, with the cast of Brian Ritchie and Diana Arington Evans.
How Do You Recognize Crazy by Katharine Rex is a very clever story, with perfect casting of the two main actors. They were able to send a message to the audience about abuse in a palatable and comical manner. And of course, a plot twist at the end had the audience gasping in shock! This is directed by Andrea Rogers with Dave Hamilton, Ginger Nicolay-Davis, Tessa Dixon, and Joe Herold on the stage.
I’m so glad there are two performances this year! I can’t wait to see it again on Saturday.
Performances on Friday, May 1, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 2, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for youth and students. Tickets available at www.valhallatahoe.com.
-Michelle Gomez