OC CENTRIC New Play Festival Opens Today

OC-centric: Orange County's New Play Festival opens August 16. OC-centric, which has been awarded the honor of Orange County's "Best New Play Festival" by the OC WEEKLY, is the only theatre festival fully producing new works from dramatists who live in or hail from Orange County.

In its eighth season, OC-centric presents a new full-length drama and a trio of one-act comedies. Actors and directors from across Southern California collaborate with Chapman University theatre students in this destination new play event .

** The Full-Length Play **

Allegory of the Cave by Darren Andrew Nash
Directed by Angela Cruz
Featuring Celeste Alvarez, Bill Carson, Haley Izurieta & John J. Pistone

A young woman, Leah, finds herself involuntary admitted to a psychiatric facility after suffering a psychotic breakdown. While confined to the facility, she is diagnosed with a dissociative disorder , and suspected of suffering from an ominous genetic disorder. Her psychiatrist explores Leah's recurring dreams as Shakespeare's Ophelia as a means of understanding her condition. Leah, however, begins to suspect her dreams, along with an eccentric roommate, may hold the keys to unraveling something even more profound.

Performances: August 16-18 @ 8pm, August 25 @ 2pm, August 26 @ 2 and 7pm
Tickets: allegoryofthecave@brownpapertickets.com

** The One-Act Plays **
(all three on the same program)

A Girl Smiles in the Arctic by Cambria Denim
Directed by Reed Flores
Featuring Charlie Battaglia, Michael Kaye & Amy Rebecca King

International pop sensation Justin Bieber and Siberian Inuit hunter Nirliq meet in their conjoined dreams every night. What happens when a depressive, childlike Englishman appears in their dreamscape after a suicide attempt This play explores romance, privilege, existentialism, and love in all its forms.

Joey & Mare by Buddy Farmer
Directed by Katie Chidester
Featuring Aaron Ford & Sara Freedland

On the night before their wedding, Mare, a young virgin, has to break it to her fiancee, Joey, that she is pregnant even though she has never had sex with him or any other man. Joey becomes angered and starts to question her about previous boyfriends. The tension builds and Mare tells Joey it all came to her in a dream. Along with being incensed, Joey is incredulous over this explanation and wonders if Mare has been drinking too much wine or using drugs.

The Mulberry Bush by James Colgan
Directed by Michael Serna
Featuring Vercylanne Bustos, Lara Fox, Jeff Hane & Bri'Unia Stock

Wendy and Paul are madly in love. But Wendy has commitment issues and keeps breaking up with Paul, only to beg forgiveness a couple of weeks later. Which is driving Paul nuts. When they finally call it off "for good," Susan and Patricia, their two best friends, try to push them back together. But will it work

Performances for the three one-acts:
August 18 @ 2pm, August 19 @ 2 and 7pm, August 23-25 @ 8pm
Tickets for the one-acts: joeyarcticmulberry@brownpapertickets.com

Visit oc-centric.com for playwright interviews, director and cast biographies and more.

OC-centric is produced by Tamiko Washington and Eric Eberwein and sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Dance at Chapman University. This year's festival is partly supported by a grant from the Community Foundation of Orange. www.oc-centric.com