MACT
Fast*Fest will be held August 17 at the Encore Performing Arts Center in Cloquet. It will feature 15 shows of 20 minutes or less, divided into 3 sessions with 5 performance in each session. Here’s a description of the shows that are scheduled to be presented in the first performance session, Saturday morning at 9:00 am..
“Sister Loretta“, by Steven LaVigne, is a solo play performed by one woman. Sister Loretta is a tour guide at the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM. Welcoming a school tour to the chapel, Sister Loretta shares the miraculous story of the renowned staircase in the back corner of the chapel.
“Sister Loretta”, from Penny Pinchin’ Productions (Minneapolis) will open the festival as the first show in the Saturday morning performance session.
Everyone wants to be in “The Spot”, a television endorsement for a prominent political candidate. But with clueless directors, a ruthless campaign advisor, and an actress with too much heart, it’s hard to tell who is telling the truth, who is playing the game, and who is dominating the polls.
Our host, County Seat Theater Company (Cloquet), will be presenting this show, written by Steven Dietz, as the second performance on Saturday morning.
“The Last Romeo” is about the weekly lunch of the ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out). This is one in a series of short plays about the ROMEOs written by Jon Skaalen.
Ole Olson Onstage (Stillwater) will be presenting this show as the third performance in the Saturday morning session.
“Macbeth, The Oppositional King”, written and directed by Greg Bastien, is a story he concocted in which he combined the temperament of lady Macbeth with a henpecked husband who would rather be off fighting than at home being nagged for his lack of ambition.
This fourth show in the Saturday morning performance session is presented by Classics Lost ‘N’ Found Theatre Company (Minneapolis).
“Jeannette Rankin: Champion of Persistence”, written and performed by J. Emily Peabody, is a biographical one-act about the first woman elected to Congress. A riveting performance that manages to pack nearly a century of history into each precious minute. With passion for reform, Jeannette Rankin was a thorn in the side of the establishment for 93 years. In 1916 she was the first woman elected to Congress from her home state of Montana. She voted against both World Wars. With grace and humor she battled for women’s suffrage, labor rights, social justice and the children, especially the children.
This show from Thorn Productions (Minneapolis) will be the last performance in the Saturday morning performance session.