New Theater Group Makes Debut at Ossining Library

The Westchester Collaborative Theater made its public debut this weekend with performances Friday and Sunday at the Ossining Library’s Budarz Theater of Summer Blast: Festival of One-Act Plays.

The Festival was a staged reading, meaning the actors read from scripts with limited sets and motion, of six one act plays by local playwrights.  The work offered ranged from laugh out loud comedies like Marshall Fine’s The Dog’s Breakfast and Honest to Pete and Joseph McDonald’s Any Old Wake Will Do to the dramatic and moving such as Ill Winds by Gary Batson.  Other plays dealt with social issues such as Gabrielle Fox’s tale about a young woman considering suicide in Goodbye Party and a look at love and homosexuality in Evelyn Mertens Yes.

The one thing that all of these short plays had in common was exceptional acting; it was hard to believe this was this theater company’s first time out of the gate.

“This is our first public performance and we have invited as many of the public as we can to show you what we do,” said Alan Lutwin, WCT director.

“It was a really good first performance,” said Melinda O’Brien from Yorktown. “This was very well produced. I particularly liked the dog one.”

The Westchester Collaborative Theater was founded last September and calls the Budarz Theater its home venue.  The company hosts bi-monthly labs where playwrights submit their plays and the actors read them and send the manuscripts back to the author for revision.  

Friday’s performance was the next step in the creative process after the lab sessions, the staged reading.  In a staged reading the actors start to act out the stage directions with simple sets but are still “on book,” theater lingo for still using the script.

The last phase or phase three is a full blown stage production, something that is a goal of WTC.

The plays read are all new works from local playwrights and all the playwrights are members of WTC.

“A lot of our actors are multi-talented,” said Lutwin.  “Many are actor-director, writer-director.”  

The age range of the company is huge with members ranging in age from their early 20s to their late 60s. All the directors are also members of the company, but each and every one has extensive directing experience, there are no novices. This would explain the excellent production put on this weekend.

“Any Old Wake Will Do was excellent,” said Glen an audience member.  “For a reading it was so well acted.”

In addition to premiering and working with playwrights on new material, WTC also will be offering a Teen Theater Program in the fall for Ossining’s middle and high school students.

“It’s an effort to give back to the community who gives to us.”  Lutwin said.

The Westchester Collaborative Theater is open and free to anyone who wants to join. Interested playwrights should submit manuscripts and potential actors should submit headshots and resumes.

“It’s not at all a grueling audition,” said Lutwin.  “We are really kind.”

Interested playwrights, actors or anyone who wants to keep up with WTC and be added to their mailing list should submit their information to wctcompany@gmail.com.