by Tanya Irwin and David Kiley

In a world where men continue to dominate, it’s hard not to relish the “woman power” that is BoxFest Detroit.

BoxFest Detroit shone brightly on opening weekend at this year’s venue, Planet Ant in Hamtramck. Artistic Director Molly McMahon and Executive Director Kelly Rossi continue to nurture the festival with passion and expertise. The two are on hand, along with Producer Amanda Grace Ewing, to explain the mission of BoxFest to each Box’s audience.
Over the two-weekend-long festival, BoxFest Detroit 2015 presents the work of 13 local women theater artists. The festival has served and continues to function as a springboard for many women and their directing careers. Directors who have participated in past festivals have gone on to pursue graduate studies, become directors at professional theaters and form their own successful theater and production companies.

The good news is that after seeing all the boxes over two nights, the showcase is strong across the board. The nature of these short plays is that they feel experimental, like short works that you might see in an acting studio. The stage is bare, with the set often being no more than a table and two chairs or just two chairs. More good news is that if one of the short plays is not your cup of tea, it will be over before you have time to suffer to much.

The actors are sharp and energetic, and the evening is thoroughly enjoyable with breaks to refill a beer cup from the keg tapped in the backyard of Planet Ant. Theatre goers have another chance to see the boxes–the groupings of short plays–this weekend.
Proceeds from each festival are given to one or more directors as a scholarship to help further her career. The winning director of the audience voting is given the opportunity to direct a show with Planet Ant Theatre’s Late Night Series.

Despite the small venue, this year’s production ran like a well-oiled machine with stage manager Andaiye Spencer and assistant stage manager/house manager Sara Kadish at the helm with an assist by lighting designer Neil Koivu.

Box 1

With only two short plays within the 60-minute “box,” the directors had a chance to stretch their wings a bit.
The first short, Clarity, directed by Tara Riedel and written by Serena Cates, showcases the bittersweet story of a young couple at the end of their relationship. Or at least Rachel (Chelsea Martin) is done, while Damion (Josh Zeitler) tries to convince her otherwise. The two have been separated by Damion’s time away at college. He has returned and wants to pick up where things left off. But in his absence it is actually Rachel who has grown and changed and moved on. Rachel asks for and then demands that Damion returns the sheet music that Rachel has given him with a love song that is no longer valid. The dialogue seems a bit stiff and the ending is rather predictable, even though there is anticipation that there might be an odd twist coming.

Buck Naked, directed by Shavonne Coleman and written by Gloria Bond Clunie, is fun and offers some surprising turns. Two sisters, Adrienne (Ariel Jones) and Shane (Kaiya Wynn) are at odds when it comes to how to deal with the issues surrounding their aging mother (Denise Graham) after they have both moved away. A nosy neighbor calls to alert the already uptight Adrienne that her mother is gardening in the nude. After going back and forth about it on the phone to no avail, the sisters finally agree to fly home once they get word that their childhood home is up for sale. Surprisingly, their mother seems totally fine and quite rational in person, although her plans are anything but as she gives a whole new meaning to “going commando.” Her love for her daughters wins out over convention, even for Adrienne.

Box 2

By far the strongest of the three boxes we reviewed, the acting and storylines are brilliantly executed in all three shorts with some particularly stellar directing by Paige Conway in Broken. She makes amazing use of the small space and minimal props and the actors rise to the occasion of the emotional and somewhat disturbing storyline. Actors Grace Hinkley and Katherine Schooler play off each other’s energy masterfully after being thrown in a jail cell for being participants in a “revolution” in the short written by James McLindon.

Turtle Beach is adorable, both funny and sad and full of life lessons. Beverly (Krystle Futrell) and May Jaclynn Cherry) are two pregnant turtlestrying to make it to the dunes to lay their eggs. Beverly is the focused and serious old-timer while May is a first-time mother full of wonder and enthusiasm. “Staring at the moon won’t make the universe love you back,” advises realist Beverly in a particularly poignant moment. Director Mary Rychlewski draws the raw emotion out of the two actors in the short written by Aoise Stratford.

Finally, Perspective is worth the wait as the last of the three shorts in the box. Directed by Egla Kishta, actors Kelly Rose Voigt (Virgin Mary) and Sergio Mautone (Angel Gabe) have excellent timing and the short provides a light and humorous finish to the Box. The premise is a painting come to life at the Louvre. The Virgin Mary takes issue with the attention one of the other paintings is getting while Gabriel tries to talk her down. “Don’t be so catty, you’re supposed to be the mother of God,” he advises.

Box 3

Forbidden Love”tells the familiar tale of an unrequited teenage crush. Directed by Michelle LeRoy and written by Laurie Allen, the story features teacher David Shore (David Moan) who is visited by a former student, Audra Long (Shannon Hurst) who was so inspired by his mentorship that she became a teacher herself. Direction is key to the scene, as David moves around trying to escape from Audra’s increasingly overt moves. Although he doesn’t remember her and clearly was unaware of her affections, the compassion and empathy he showed for her 10 years ago carries over to the present day.

In The Stand In, directed by Dyan Bailey and written by Brett Hursey, the hapless Mandy (DeAnnah Kleitz-Singleton) is at odds with Xocko, a sock puppet operated by Britney Michael. She tries to impress the Director (Matthew Kurtz) who is clearly only enamored with Xocko. Surprisingly, the play about an audition works marvelously and hilariously. The director (who immediately captures the affected snootiness of a self-important director) continues to ask for the lighting to be lowered on the increasingly annoyed Mandy (whose shiny forehead is more than the director can stand.) It’s hard to believe a sock puppet and a blue bucket could generate so many laughs.

Actor David Moan returns to the third short, Date 16, this time playing Ted (Bundy), a twisty character who is a serial…dater…in the short directed by Megan Wright and written by Todd Weston. The objects of his “affection,” Date 10 (Katy Kujala) and Date 16 (Erica Gunaca) play women who are polar opposites, although in Ted’s mind all women are the same. Once Ted’s motives become apparent midway through Date 10, watching the play is like watching a car crash. It’s horrifying, but you can’t turn away. Pacing is perfection and the short is over before the audience wants it to be.

Box 4

Gypsy Rhymes with Danger written by Jonathan Davidson and Frannie Shepherd-Bates and directed by Ms. Shepherd-Bates is a quirky story about a modern couple who go on a history tour in Washington DC, but we find out that they are, in fact, John Wilkes Booth (played by Jonathan Davidson) and Jan Miles Portman (played by Katie Terpstra). Portman is a gypsy who visited Booth in the 19th century and gave him immortality. Booth is becoming a bit unhinged after the tour (I never should have come back to Washington!) and confesses his true identity to Portman. She tells him of her true identity. There are a lot of laughs in this quirky short story, and it made this critic think there could be something bigger here in a longer form.

Essential Magick, written by Robert Fieldsteel and directed by Lisa Hodge Kander is a disturbing two-actor play featuring a mother (played by TM Rawlins) talking about her daughter, Breanna, (Shannon Hurst) who is holed up in her bedroom. Breanna is a cutter and says she is a witch. The two women talk independent of one another, and the build to the end of the short play is unsettling to say the least.

Box 5

There’s Nothing Wrong With Me, written by Maureen Paraventi and directed by Lylanne Musselman opens on a beach with two strangers—Gwen (Amy Choudhury Martin) and Kimmy (Clearie McCarthy) talking about their kids and families. Soon, though, Kimmy’s husband (Alexander Henderson Trice) shows up, and he is a total ass, obnoxiously criticizing his wife for letting her body go. Kimmy confides to Gwen, whom she just met, that she has something diabolical in mind. But things are not as they seem as the audience soon finds out. Is it funny? No spoiler here. Only the audience can decide that in this case.

In Cutting It Close, a young couple Molly (Katy Kujala) and Josh (Patrick O’Connor Cronin) have a new baby, and Josh’s mother, Elaine (Connie Cowper) likes to pop over unannounced. Actually, she calls, but only after she is practically pulling into the driveway. There is a conflict in this short, often funny piece over the Jewish traditions of Connie and Josh, and those of Molly, a shiksa. The story is really a well-written and well-directed slice of life. The dialogue is nicely authentic.

Raghead is an odd, quirky, funny piece about a Catholic New York City fireman, Nick (David Galido) who is on a blind date with Sarah (Kelly Rose Voigt). Kelly has a Muslim head-scarf on, and a Muslim woman is not what Nick was expecting. Or is she Muslim? Sarah is fast-talking, funny, ragingly insecure. It is a depiction of a real New York moment, or 15 minutes that anyone who has lived in New York could totally see happening off a date arranged through an online dating service or a friend with an odd sense of humor.

Performance dates, times and ticket prices.