RENO, NV - The FOURTEENTH annual BIGGEST little Theatre & New Works Festival at Brüka Theatre is a showcase for original theatre pieces featuring traditional and nontraditional performances created by local and regional performance artists. Produced to support local theatre artists, giving an accessible, affordable and supportive environment to produce and take a chance with original work while also giving audiences the experience of locally produced original work in a theatre festival style. Aligning with Brüka Theatre’s Mission: To create and share the experience of innovative, this small festival features performances throughout the Brüka space. Each performance is 60 minutes in length or under and followed by a talk back. Groups receive a portion of the ticket sales. Supported by Friends Of Brüka, The Nevada Arts Council & The NEA.
WEDNESDAY - 1/16/25 - THEATRE WORKSHOP 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
CREATIVENESS! THEATRE WORKSHOP
Description: Improvisation & Physical Theatre Tools For Creative Play - Led by Mary Bennett. Group theatrical strategies are explored to inspire, build upon acting tools and foster a base for creation during the workshop and beyond. All Levels.
THURSDAY - 1/17/25 - 7:00 PM A NEW ONE ACT PLAY
THE GARDEN VIEW - A Canticle For Man - BY MICHAEL WILDER FRAZEL
Synopsis: The Garden View follows three different men over one night in three adjoining hotel rooms. As their deep connection to each other is revealed, this ambitious new dark comedy explores inheritance, masculinity, and whether it’s ever really worth it to order room service.
Bio: Michael Wilder Frazel is a theater-maker originally from Chicago, IL, and currently based in Reno, NV. His plays have been read and performed at Brüka Theater, Good Luck Macbeth, Chicago Dramatists, The Once and Future Festival, and Broken Bell Reads. His fiction podcast The Phone Booth and non-fiction podcast The Chefs Monologue can be found wherever you get your podcasts. He has also taught classes and workshops at Northwestern University, Chicago Dramatists, and Truckee Meadows Community College. Sometimes, he even acts, most recently at Restless Artists Theater and Good Luck Macbeth. He is also a proud board member of Reno Little Theater and an Aries-Pisces cusp. MFA: Northwestern University, Writing For The Screen And Stage. Running Time: 60 minutes. Drama.
PLAY WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A TALK BACK WITH THE AUDIENCE & PLAYERS.
FRIDAY - 1/18/25 - THE BIG SCHMOOZE & BOHEMIA
6:00 PM - 6:45 PM FESTIVAL COCKTAILS & SCHMOOZE TIME
Appetizers provided by The Wild River Grille - Hosted Champagne and No Host Bar. Enjoy champagne from Brüka & appetizers from The Wild River Grille as we celebrate Thirty Two Years of theatrical opportunities at Brüka Theatre and a moment connect with the community and the Festival Artists. No host bar. $5
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM BOHEMIA - TRANSCENDENCE
~ Featuring ~ LISA SHERTZ’ Comedic Short Play - TAKE THE NOTE
Brother & Sister Improvisors debate what taking the note means onstage & in life.
This is an Open Mic with Featured Performers. Brüka Theatre has been presenting “Bohemia Nights” for close to 25 years, featuring and creating a performance platform for actors, musicians, poets, dancers and other performance based artforms to share their talent with our community. Doors open @ 6:45 PM for Bohemia. The show begins at 7:00 PM. $10 per person in advance/$12 @ The Doors
OPEN MIC - Sign Up With Your New Work Online. 5 Minute Slots Available.
https://forms.gle/n5PTJuf7Laqjxa5M8
SATURDAY - BIGGEST/little FESTIVAL DAY 1/19/25 - NEW WORKS
Doors Open @ 4:00 PM
4:30 PM - LOVE 40 & BREAK POINT - Bob Gabrielli, Writer/Director
BIO/Synopsis: Reno native Bob Gabrielli has written/acted/directed in local theater for more than 40 years. While much of that activity was at Reno Little Theater, Bob has been grateful to Brüka for the opportunity to test out new material before wonderful, smart, astute, nice-smelling beautiful people who typically make up a Brüka audience. This year’s entry, Break Point follows in the footsteps of previously produced short plays at Brüka , Love-40, Life Loafers and Blood Lust and is a companion piece to Love-40. Thanks always to Cathy.
Running Time: 30 Minutes (Doors open at 4:00 PM)
PLAY WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A TALK BACK WITH THE AUDIENCE & PLAYERS.
6 PM - ADMISSIONS - Bill Quinby, Writer/Director
Synopsis: A young girl reveals a secret while applying to an art school and changes the lives of two women.
BIO Bill Quinby is a writer, musician, and photographer living and working in Rno since 1991. He has three children and two granddaughters. He is married to the marvelous Mona Young. He is proud to say that “Admissions” is his writing/directing debut at Brüka Theatre.
Running Time: 10 Minutes. (Doors open at 5:30 PM)
PLAY WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A TALK BACK WITH THE AUDIENCE & PLAYERS.
7:00 PM THE MEETING - LIVE! - Lyndsey Langsdale & Mallory Kate, Creators & Actors
Synopsis - A newly devised performance entitled “The Meeting - Live!” This performance is a live theater iteration of our visual art exhibition “The Meeting,” which showed at the Savage Mystic Gallery in October, 2023. In its entirety “The Meeting” is a body of work that consists of three major visual art exhibitions exploring our endless conversations about Shadow - what we simultaneously feel proud and shameful of. We all feel haunted by what we shove into the darkness…lifetimes of being diagnosed, told we are not enough or too much, wearing masks to hide our honesty, to make ourselves more palatable to others. These concepts motivated, consumed us and launched us on a powerful quest through our own shadows, our own light, and honest self perceptions. This Live performance is intended to act as a “teaser” or bridge from the first installment to the second where we will delve further into our original shadow work. “The Meeting - Live!” will incorporate projection, original music, live action, puppetry, clown and audience involvement.
Running Time: 30 Minutes (Doors open at 6:30 PM)
PLAY WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A TALK BACK WITH THE AUDIENCE & PLAYERS.
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