Festival Program Coming Soon!
The Pumphouse Theatre and Alberta Drama Festival Association are at it again for the Annual Calgary Region One-Act Play Festival. Over four evenings, from April 1 -4, we are thrilled to be presenting eight one-act plays from a diverse array of local artists. From drama to comedy, new work to classics, the One Act Play Festival offers something for everyone.Â
FULL SHOW LINE UP BELOW
Wednesday, April 1st
SHOW #1 M.E.N.S.A by Mary Wood presented by Deep End Players
SHOW DESCRIPTION: M.E.N.S.A is a darkly humorous psychological drama following March McQuoid, a first-year students whose desperate need to prove herself propels her into a spiral of obsession, self-destruction and ethical collapse. Alongside a ground of offbeat, fast-talking friends, March discovers that ambition comes at a cost – and some lines can only be crossed once
Coming of Age Drama | 50 min
M.E.N.S.A Â is produced with permission by the playwright
This play is not recommended for anyone under 16. Contains frequent coarse language, discussions of sexuality and references to suicide.
SHOW #2 Switch by Tom Szysko presented by Bounce House
SHOW DESCRIPTION:
An up and coming lawyer, Emily, and a down an out writer, Fletcher, face a crossroads when Emily does the unthinkable after nine and half years of dating. Their relationship is put to the test in this story of ambition, hope and confusion.Â
Dramatic Comedy| 25 min
Switch is produced with permission by the playwrightÂ
Thursday April 2nd
SHOW #1 The Weight of A Dog by Mark Edwards presented by Black Dog Theatre
SHOW DESCRIPTION: The sudden arrival of an enormous black dog throws a couple’s relationship into chaos
Drama | 40 min
The Weight of a Dog is produced with permission by the playwright
Contains coarse language and themes of mental illness and self-harm. Â
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SHOW #2 Guardian Angel by Jenna Anderson presented by Eleventh Hour
SHOW DESCRIPTION: What if a stranger knocked on your door to tell you that, sorry, but you’re being fired since you’re such a troublesome client? Would you laugh in their face? Call security? An accident-prone woman faces this situation in Guardian and must decide if the strangers at her door are laughable or if their firing threat needs to be taken seriously.
Comedy| 20 min
Guardian Angel is produced with permission by the playwrightÂ
Friday, April 3rd
SHOW #1: Â Has Anyone Seen My Moral Compass? by Trish Clark presented by Ma-Teresa Productions
SHOW DESCRIPTION: It’s another installment of the most popular game show of 2038, ” Has Anyone Seen My Moral Compass?” where host Christianne Roche interviews guests from across history. This week her guests are Trixie, a nurse joining from 1980 and Marie joining from 2026. These ladies will reflect on what shaped their identity and morality and ponder whether that changes over a lifetime. The guests share an independent spirit, deep immoral conviction and a disregard for Christianne’s rules about causing time paradoxes.
Comedy | 24 min
Has Anyone Seen My Moral Compass is produced with permission by the playwright
Contains references to mature subject matter and use of flashing lights. Â
SHOW #2:Â Lady Jane Waiting by AJ Pearce presented by Full Circle Theatre
SHOW DESCRIPTION: Lady Jane Franklin is waiting. It’s 1854 and her husband has been lost in the arctic for years. Aided by her faithful man servant Nigel, she tells her story…as she waits.
Dramatic Comedy | 25mins
Lady Jane Waiting is produced with permission by the playwright
Contains strong language
SHOW #3:Â The Ballad of Rogue Planets by Joseph Fernando presented by Joseph Fernando
SHOW DESCRIPTION: Rogue planets are worlds that have been separated from their parent star, doomed to wander through space without the warmth or light that they once knew. Their journey through interstellar space may last thousands of years, perhaps encountering other rogue planets like themselves – cold, dark, and lonely – brought together and then flung apart again by gravity. But are they capable of changing their fate, and once again finding light in the darkness of space? And how do the journeys of these lost worlds, light years away, reflect our own search for human connection?
Movement / Drama | 25 min
The Ballad of Rogue Planets is produced with permission by the playwrightÂ
Saturday, April 4th
SHOW DESCRIPTION: Loop and Echo are banished from their city and must now wander the lands. Relying only on each other they must find their way to enlightenment.
Tragic Comedy | 30 min
Maya Aparanta is produced with permission by the playwright.
Contains fog and use of flashing lights.
SHOW #2 La Danza De Los Viejitos: A Collective Creation Directed by Ivan Guevara Garcia  presented by Ivan Guevara Garcia
SHOW DESCRIPTION: Get ready for some Mexican theatre, as we adapt a Danza De Los Viejitos traditional folk dance into a full mask show! This performance is a celebration of life through a love story. It is a reminder that it’s never too late to find love, and that our youthfulness is not defined by age.
This Mask show explores adapting Mexican culture and using comedy and movement as a universal language to break barriers between communities and non traditional theatre audiences.
Movement / Comedy | 25 min
La Danza De Los Viejitos is produced with permission by the playwright
SHOW #3 A Different Kind of Party by Carolyn Wright-Stronski  presented by Urban Stories Theatre
SHOW DESCRIPTION: Over the past decade, our cultural interactions have changed. Perhaps it’s a desire for deeper connections with friends, old and new, as well as our loved ones. The spontaneity of greetings and general interactions has declined, prompting us to consider things like permission, style, and acceptance when it comes to hugging. For example, three members of a social group attending a party find the situation more than they anticipated, but perhaps what they were hoping for.
Drama | 15 min
A Different Kind of Party is produced with permission by the playwright
Performances are rated PG-13 or above, and are not recommended for young children. Nightly show order listed and lengths are approximate. It is advised that you attend the full evening if you wish to see a specific show.
Showtimes: 7:30pm Nightly, Victor Mitchell Theatre, Pumphouse Theatre
Tickets:Â $18 Adult General Admission
To purchase tickets click here.
 If you have questions or concerns, contact prod@pumphousetheatre.ca or 403.263.0079 ext 100