Last Updated on March 27, 2024, 8:07 AM | Published: March 26, 2024
OKLAHOMA CITY — Theatre Crude is committed to offering unique, innovative outlets for patrons and creatives in and around the metro.
In the fall, they hold their annual Fringe Festival, where submissions for full-scale original works can be staged for minimal entrance fees.
The rest of their season is filling out with performance opportunities this Spring, kicking off on Monday at OK Cider Co.
“Unconventional Shorts” is Theatre Crude’s Spring series that includes new works, chances to develop and test out original writing, and ample opportunities to try-on performances.
Each one-night event, which is free to the public, serves as a fundraising opportunity for Theatre Crude. The events occur in front of a live audience, and all are welcome to attend, submit works, participate or just watch.
Suggested donations of $10 or more are welcomed, but not required. Events are planned for once a month through May and include a monologue/open mic night, a ten-minute play festival, and a unique night of cinematic interpretation titled Five Fifths.
‘Monologue Roulette’
In the first event, Monologue Roulette, performers were invited to submit two-to-five-minute monologues for performing in front of the crowd inside the Cider House. Writers may also perform if they wish. And, performers can show up and perform someone else’s monologue.
Shortly before the night began, monologues were thrown into the mix and handed out at random. This twist ensured every performer read a piece that they didn’t write and had not seen before.
Any performance without an audience is just a rehearsal, so it was vital to the success of the evening that each submission has an actual audience to witness each debut.
Excerpts from plays, full poems, and even a diatribe from personal experience were performed throughout the two-hour event. Libations kept the performance and audience response flowing seamlessly.
The wide array of ciders made and offered at OK Cider Co were perfectly comforting, warming patrons from the late March cold front that blew in during the event.
The result was a cozy night inside, and a room full of strangers becoming friends while sharing a singular performative experience.
For those who missed the event, there is more to come.
More to come!
Ten Minute Plays occurs on April 15th. Submissions are open now for writers and performers. For this event, writers will be provided with prompts and given three weeks to write a new, ten-minute long, original play based on the provided prompts.
Performers will be assigned per available roles and will have one rehearsal prior to the performance night. This “directed reading” style of performance is low-key and free of the pressures of traditional performances.
Participants are not required to memorize their lines, as they will all read their respective roles from the stage. There was good attendance at this event last year, and the same is expected in 2024. Anyone interested in participating should apply before the deadline on April 3rd.
The third event in the series happens on Monday, May 20th.
The premise is both exciting and a challenge:
- Theatre Crude will provide a one-fifth portion of a well-known classic movie script to different creative teams.
- Each team will create their own interpretation of their section of the movie, and all five parts will come together and be performed in the original film sequence.
- The team members won’t know what the other teams are doing, so the performance will be a surprise to everyone involved!
This year’s movie selection will be announced soon on Theatre Crude’s social media channels.
Theatre Crude continues to grow its variety of performing arts engagements for the community. More events in the Unconventional Shorts lineup are planned through August and will be announced soon on Theatre Crude’s website.
In addition, applications are now open through May 20th for this year’s Fringe Festival. Visit theatrecrude.org for more info and to apply.
Adrienne Proctor is a theater and arts writer in Oklahoma City. She's been contributing to the arts reporting space since 2017.
