B.o.a.T.S. (8 shows that are Based on a True Story)

 The Porthole Players theater group will embark on a journey of 10-minute storytelling at the Newport Performing Arts Center with their presentation of the first B.o.a.T.S. Play Festival.

The show begins on Friday, May 16, at 7 p.m. and continues for two weekends until a Sunday matinee on May 25 at 2 p.m. in the David Ogden Stiers Studio Theatre. B.o.a.T.S. (which stands for Based on a True Story) will present eight new 10-minute plays, all based on true stories in some way, by eight fresh playwrights, with a cast and crew of over 25 talented performers.

The short plays for B.o.a.T.S. were selected by Porthole Players in a 10-minute playwriting competition last fall. Ten-minute scripts were submitted from across the nation and even a few countries, such as New Zealand and Mexico. The reading team used a blind submission process, which means the writer’s names and all identifying marks were omitted.

Six writers, all with backgrounds in writing drama, read and rated more than 100 plays to decide on the top 16 stories. Of those final 16, the eight directors for Porthole Players read the scripts and selected the play they most wanted to direct. The final plays range in theme from quirky and high-spirited, to sentimental and reflective.

Beginning Act I in the evening will be “Fresh Hell,” by Brian Cern, from Hugo, Minnesota. Directed by Rebeccah Sorensen, the comedic and realistic piece looks at the pressure of competitive signups for summer camp, starring Mark Montminy and Jason Holland as the parents.

Second up is the play “Wild Strawberries,” by Nora Vitz Harrison, from Bainbridge Island, Washington, and it is directed by Jennifer Van Bruggen Hamilton. This sentimental and humorous story examines the relationship of two very different sisters played by Kristen Berholtz and Teresa Johnson. Veteran actress Barbara Berge masters the stage as their ailing mother, as they struggle with the decision to put their mother in a nursing facility.

The next story in Act I is “Charlie and Stan,” by Matthew Moore, from Johnston, Rhode Island, based on the true account in which Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel find themselves on the same ship heading to America to begin a new life in 1910. The conversation of two funny men is directed by Moss William Webster, with Sean Orton playing Stan, and Alex Robbins portraying Charlie.

Closing Act I will be the play “Peace, Love and Taco Sauce,” by Jennifer Chaney, an Oregon coastal playwright who wrote this secondhand story of two hippies on a wild ride. Cyn Wilkes selected to direct the actors, Jason Mueller and Meghan Cahill, as the Deadheads who unexpectedly meet up with a couple of criminals, portrayed by Eric Schindler and Cheryl Durinick. Calamity ensues as taco sauce is spilled.

Opening Act II is the memory play “Slow Our Ship,” by Arianna Rose, from Delray Beach, Florida. In just 10-minutes, Sean and Siobhan, a young couple from Cork, Ireland, display three very distinct passages in their lives as they find and lose love in the early 1800s. Their sweet courtship is played by young thespians Layla Wells and Autumn Surley, and directed by Jennifer Chaney.

The next story takes place in the Museum of Modern Art. “MoMA” tracks two museum visitors and was written by Terry Riley. from Santa Fe, New Mexico. In this comedy directed by Miranda Carter, two friends are on a sightseeing trip to New York City. Actors Bridget Hill and Barbara Berge ponder the perplexities of modern art with Adell Hamilton as the museum attendant.

Seventh in the line-up is the 10-minute play “Gown,” by Robert Weibezahl of Westlake Village, California. Directed by Devonee Trivett, a mother and daughter embark on that treasured rite of passage: shopping for the perfect wedding gown. An unforeseen agenda unfolds in both heartbreaking and uplifting ways with actors Cathye Wehr, Rigel Peters and Artemis Foss.

Closing the evening is the play “Lies We Tell to Sleep at Night,” by Dan Perry of Los Angeles, about the fragility of relationships and how one’s self-image can change with a single breath. Directed by Jason Holland, this dramedy relays the startling secret of Archie Rybeck at his 20th high school reunion, played by Marc Montminy. Supporting actors Meghan Cahill, Sean Orton and Teresa Johnson threaten to turn Archie’s world upside down.

All eight plays will be presented “in the round,” with seating on all sides of the raised stage. Michael Golden, stage manager for the B.o.a.T.S. Fest, will steer the crew of Pat Trainor, April Lemaster, Aleina Turner on lights, and Eric Hanneman as properties manager. Morgan Locklear, president of Porthole Players, and the board of directors have been helping behind the scenes at this first attempt at presenting a ten-minute playwriting festival of original work.

Audience members are invited to attend a talk back with the directors and playwrights Dan Perry, Nora Vitz Harrison, and Jennifer Chaney, and will be held directly following Saturday’s performance on May 17. Since the plays are all based on some type of true story, this special opportunity may reveal some of the fun facts or fiction behind the work.

Tickets for the Porthole Players production may be purchased in advance from the Newport Performing Arts Center’s box office, one hour before show time, at 777 West Olive St. in Newport. Tickets are also available online at coastarts.org, or by phone at 541-265-ARTS (2787), during regular business hours. A special “Arts for All” presentation of all eight short plays will take place on Thursday May 22, at 7 p.m., where a donation of the audience member’s choosing will be accepted for admission. Tickets for the “Arts for All” night go on sale that Thursday morning.