New York City's Strawberry One-Act Festival Has 30 Plays from Mainstream to Multicultural in August

NEW YORK - Aug. 6, 2015 - PRLog -- The Riant Theatre’s 28^th Season of the Strawberry One-Act Festival will feature seven eclectic plays covering a gamut of themes entailing nerdy heroes, dating disasters, post apocalypse life, family will drama and a horror story on Thursday, August 6 at the Tato Laviera Theatre, 240 East 123rd Street, between Second and Third Avenues. These plays will also be performed on August 10. The tickets for the Strawberry One-Act Festival, from August 5 – 23 at the Tato Laviera, are $25.00 - $35.00.

“Binge viewing on Netflix proves that viewers like to see their favorite shows when they want and as often as they want. Why not with theatre?  I  intend to offer the theatrical experience in as many possible forums as possible,”  explained Van Dirk Fisher, founder and artistic director of the Riant Theatre, a multicultural and inclusive institution, and the Strawberry One Act Festival. “One day after the play is performed at the theatre, it will be available On Demand for viewing, voting and purchase for $25.00.  The three plays that get the most On Demand views will have their vote counts tripled. The plays that get the most On Demand views will automatically secure a spot to perform at the final awards competition.”

SERIES C:  Thursday, August 6 at 7:00pm  and Monday, August 10 at 9:00pm

“Mr. Invincible Explains It To The World” written and directed by Michael Hauschild -- Featuring: Lucy Freyer, Karl Melbert, Andres Montejo and Zac Lee Wood--Harvey may seem like your typical high school punching bag, but below the surface he is much more than he seems. Now is the time to fulfill his destiny.

“Loves Last Will” written  and directed by Jeffrey E.  Milstein -- Featuring: Shana Ames, Ignacyo Matynia, Jeffrey E. Milstein and Kelly Leigh Sindell-- A woman is surprised at the reading of her husband's will.

“Deadline Daters” written by Nikki Pope & Nicole Raviv and directed by Dominic DiFelice -- Featuring: Jack Bailey, Adam Cavalieri, Tilly Heenehan, Nikki Pope, Nicole Raviv, Matt Samardge and Baba Taveres--Two undercover journalists are assigned the job of writing an article about the realities of dating in New York City. Going into the story they are unattached and stubborn but as the plan unfolds things start to go wrong.

“It is Wrong to Eat People” written by Faith Sanders and directed By Faith Sanders & Marcela Biven --  Featuring: James Boland, Cindy De La Cruz, Madalyn Pedone, Michael Ring  and Faith Sanders --Song, poetry and movement are performed in this tale about a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has been infected with the burning desire to consume one another.  People are driven to have both the flesh and the essence of another human being inside of themselves. They need each other to survive--emotionally and metaphysically.

SERIES D:  Thursday, August 6 at 9:00pm  and Monday, August 10 at 7:00pm

“Careful What You Wish” written by Tyriq Mustaqiym and directed by Beverly Orozco -- Featuring: Karan Choudhary, Nicolette Ellis, Joel Isaac, Will Strong  and Joel Isaac--A daughter wishes her stepdad was dead.  Then she receives news that he was in a car crash and her worse fears come true and she’s full of regrets.

“i am so so so lonely, or, the omegle play” written by Philip Anastassiou and directed by Eric Wimer --  Featuring: Michael DeBartolo and Sarah Murdoch--In the world of internet dating, random strangers are connected for anonymous conversations. Two strangers find themselves sharing more about their pasts than originally anticipated. Their encounter becomes an exploration of depression, self-harm, and fidelity.

“Poor, Poor Eleanor” written and directed by Armando Santana with stage manager: Freddy Valle -- Featuring: Jean Louis Droulers, Armando Santana and Sheri Wieseman--Horror faces poor Eleanor as she sits down to dinner with her husband. It’s a story filled with the macabre.

On Sunday, August 9, there will be a marathon of 17 plays from 1:00pm – 11:00pm. In addition, the festival is also presenting five full-length plays. Fisher has produced over 1,500 one act plays at the Strawberry One-Act Festival, which was established in 1995. There are seven published anthologies of The Best Plays from the Strawberry One-Act Festival.

The winners of the Strawberry One-Act Festival Awards  will be announced at a special ceremony on Monday, August 24  at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street.  The Riant Theatre's Awards Ceremony & Performance for the Strawberry One-Act Festival will feature performances from the four best plays from the festival and present awards for Best Play, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Short Film.

Tickets are $25.00 - $35.00.  For more information on the Strawberry One-Act Festival’s 28^th Season, please check out the website at www.therianttheatre.com or call 646-623- 3488.