B3 Theater’s 2021-22 Season
Most performances at First Baptist Church of Scottsdale, 7025 E Osborn Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
4th Festival of Shorts
International Selection of Authors
NOW PLAYING on zoom
This year’s offerings include plays on racism and the Black Lives Matter movement; a
greedy corporation who tries to usurp the BLM movement; a retelling of Prometheus
where he and the vulture eating his liver every day become friends; a series of
monologues told from the prospective of children; two women who discover they are
characters in a play; and a theater critic who has been writing reviews, but hasn’t
attended a play in years.
Sincerity Forever
by Mac Wellman
August, zoom
A seminal work in Experimental Theater, this story revolves around ever-changing couples who are dim, offensive, but most of all, sincere. Jesus H. Christ (a black woman) comes to earth and warns the town that their thoughts are being taken over by Furballs. The two Furballs cause the townsfolk to degenerate into hatred-filled chaos. Funny as sin, and also really hard to watch. Deals with prejudice head-on.
Saint Joan—Chelsea Marcantel
by George Bernard Shaw
September, First Baptist Church of Scottsdale
A French country girl finds herself on trial for her life after the nation’s rulers are
threatened by her influence and popularity. With mysterious visions of saints
inspiring her to help recover France from English domination, she paves the way for victory. This epic, transcendent story brings renewed life to one of history's greatest heroines as she pushes the boundaries of a society dominated by political and religious forces.
Zombie Girl and Swamp Girl
by Paco Jose Madden
October, zoom
Two one-acts having to do with environmentalism, these show both originated as
one-woman shows, but now, only Zombie Girl has a single performer (and 30+
characters). We also will host a Halloween, one night gala/cabaret at FBC in October.
I’m Not Saying It Was Aliens, But It Was Aliens
by Ilana Lydia
November, First Baptist Church of Scottsdale
This three-part work uses 2 actors to depict people who are marginalized by society and the aliens who ultimately save them. Both of the humans deal with mental illness, and the third story vindicates their outlandish views. At once funny and unsettling, Aliens brings up searing questions about how we know who perceives reality correctly.
Festival of Shorts for Youth
December, TBD
We have already started getting submissions for this 18 and under opportunity. No prizes will be given, although the plays produced will be curated.
Flight of the Clockwork Bird
by Juliet Rachel Wilkins
January, First Baptist Church of Scottsdale
A steampunk twist on Pinocchio, Cedric wanders too deep in the woods, and it
Is a long 10 years before he makes it back home, only to find that you can’t ever
quite go home again. What becomes of him, and Carys, the girl he left behind, is still
unwritten. How will he free himself and win back his life?
Say Cheesecake
by Allison Fradkin
February, TBD
Parodies can be a drag. But Say Cheesecake! The Musical about Girls of a Golden
Age cares to be different. In this lesbian-feminist musical tribute to The Golden Girls,
We enlist the characters in a caricature of the idiocies and intricacies of the racism,
classism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia that were totally tubular in the 1980s.
No matter how you slice it, Say Cheesecake! invites fans to see their favorite foursome
personified with respect, inclusivity, and authenticity.
Scrambled Eggs
by Jessica Fisher
March, First Baptist Church of Scottsdale
A Doctor with a demeanor like a used-car salesman has pioneered lobotomies, who he specifically targets women and ex-soldiers with. Whitney is a bright, competent, balanced woman who slips up and wears her apron to the dinner table. Her husband fears she is losing it, and takes her to the doctor, who prescribes “scrambling her eggs,” e.g., a lobotomy. In a series of close scenes, we see what happens after the lobotomy, without the lobotomy, when she suspects and when she does not suspect having been lobotomized. A terrifying and funny look at gaslighting and bypassing women’s power.
The Meta Plays
by Andrew Biss
April, First Baptist Church of Scottsdale
The Craft is the first of series of 8 shorts about characters becoming aware of a parallel universe, that they are filler, that they are poorly written, that they can be killed by their no-good author, etc. Very clever and sophisticated treatment of the subject.
Work on Slavic Fairy Tales
by John Perovich
May, First Baptist Church of Scottsdale
John is writing this piece especially for us. It will have strong female leads and be a series of vignettes. Croatian fairy tales are bold and disturbing. Justice does not always prevail.
Megan’s One Woman Show
by Megan Bryant
June, First Baptist Church of Scottsdale
? Is a one woman show highlighting the human experience of grappling with the idea Of a creator/God. In a narrative style format questions like "Who am I?" "What do I value?" "Is there a God?" and "Why do we suffer?" are explored by the character. A genuine grappling of the mystery of the origins of mankind and what our obsession with "looking to the stars" says about us. The show keeps these questions open ended and asks the audience to just stay curious, as there is so much to gain and
learn from a voraciously curious heart and mind, especially about topics that can get tangled with personal religious trauma and social ideas of morality.
Festival of Shorts
July, zoom
This will close out the season.
