“The Annual Directors’ Theatre Festival, presented by the UFV Theatre Students Association with support from UFV Student Union Society, is a fringe-style event, featuring a cornucopia of one act plays over a five day period. This year’s schedule offers 23 productions, some by established playwrights as well as original plays by student writers. Theatre lovers can be sure to find something to their liking in such an eclectic blend of fare. Along with our own talented students, UFV welcomes directors and performers from Capilano University, Thompson Rivers University, Vancouver Island University and UBC Okanagan.
“This year’s 17th Annual Directors’ Theatre Festival begins with a series of matinees and previews on Wednesday, April 25, progressing to the opening ceremony on Thursday, April 26 at 4:30 p.m.”
“The festival kicks off with a full day of performances on April 25th, starting at ten-thirty in the morning and continuing until ten-thirty at night. Each day is split up into chunks of about an hour each, which might include a single play, or present three or four back to back, depending on length. Directors’ Festival, after all, is all about exploration. These shorter shows (ranging from fifteen minutes to an hour) are a way to dive in and out of a narrative quickly, allowing a wide variety of genres and pieces to fit into a relatively short five days.”
Reviews of plays with scheduled performances in parentheses:
–Ready to Start: A Hobbit’s Tale (Friday, Sunday)
–One for the Road (Friday, Sunday)
–Mail-order Annie (Saturday, Sunday)
–Stiff Cuts (Saturday, Sunday)
–Last Will and Testament (Firday, Sunday)
–Speak Now (Saturday, Sunday)
–The Field (Friday, Sunday)
“Boasting two stages, four visiting schools, 23 UFV directors, and the opportunity to see somewhere in the neighbourhood of 50 plays over the course of five days, it’s safe to say that the 17th annual UFV Directors’ theatre festival was a rousing success.”
