2015 One Act Festival on the Mumford!

This past weekend, Becoming More Productions took the stage with a rollicking and relevant new comedy entitled "Record Lows."

March 27 & 28th showcased the 2nd annual One Act Festival on the Mumford, sponsored by Alternatives, Inc and held at the G.B. & Lexi Singh Performance Center in Whitinsville, MA.

We entered this year's festival as reigning champions, having won first place (along with Anne Marie Shea) last year at the inaugural event with the performance of another original one act play, "Recess." Last year's performance was written and directed by myself, Kara Emily Krantz, and performed by David Plante and Michelle England.

This year we did not place at the top, but were certainly considered a crowd-pleaser. Our newest one act was written only two weeks prior to the festival date (I can be a procrastinator), resulting in a flurry of casting, reading, rehearsing, memorizing, and preparing. Luckily, I am surrounded by some truly understanding and exceptionally talented actors whom I can call at the last minute to hit balls out of parks. Michelle England and Wade Porter eagerly stepped to the plate and impressed us all with their authentically adorable and endearing performances.

Left: Wade Porter & Michelle England, stars of "Record Lows"  Right: Actors with writer/director, Kara Emily Krantz

Festival judges Kat Alix-Gaudreau, a professor at Framingham State University and Skip Shea, an award-winning filmmaker and actor, had wonderful feedback for the production, especially highlighting that Michelle and Wade possessed a "hard to find" type of chemistry that kept the audience engaged. Special remarks were made in appreciation for the cozy, worn-in feeling of the set, which was reminiscent of many New England living rooms during the long, cold winter: blankets, TV remotes, and cheeseballs.

A special vocal appearance was made by none other than my dear brother, Joel Krantz, who provided the voice for the Anchorman. And special thanks go to: Christopher Gates for his excellent work on lights and sound for the entire festival, as well as Dennis Rice, Executive Director of Alternatives, Inc who also bestowed his talents as a Master of Ceremonies (and teller of unfortunate knock-knock jokes).  Awards were given at the end of the night, including one to Stepping Stone Community Theater for Joey Andrade and Keith Ariel's original musical piece "Rehearsal Gone Wrong." In the realm of fellow original one-act plays, Vivian Eliza Nichols and Sarah Rae Brown brought home the award for New Original Work for their quirky and adorable piece "Maggie Moo and Jo-Jo the Destroyer: In Reverse," a tale of friendship that lasts for a lifetime.

           Stepping Stone Community Theater              Sarah Rae Brown & Vivian Eliza Nichols

                  
        
"Record Lows" ran about 20 minutes in length, and focused on the tumultuous physical and interpersonal effects this past Winter in New England has had on us all. Sometimes sensitive, oftentimes chuckle-worthy, the script features quirky dialogue and snarky repartees. We hope you take the time to view the video and leave us some of your feedback. And Becoming More Productions hope to see (and entertain) you sometime soon!