By PETER DOUGLAS
EMERALD Gemco Players is preparing to host its One Act Play Season, with two of the plays to feature being presented by local writers, directors and actors.
Many of these plays will go on to compete in the state-wide One Act Play festivals, of which Gemco Players will host the 22nd Dandenong Ranges One Act Play Festival.
Among the featured plays will include ‘Peace of Angels’, which is written and directed by Richard Keown.
Keown has been writing and directing plays for more than 42 years in Melbourne and is also a veteran judge.
However, this is the first one-act play he has written or directed.
“I just never found a play that struck me, that I wanted to direct that could be told effectively in a single act,” he said.
The play describes the trials of Australian nurses in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Another to feature includes ‘Wow!’, which is written and directed by Marc Williams.
The play focuses on the Parkes Radio Telescope in NSW (as featured in the movie, ‘The Dish’).
Williams said the play was based mostly on true events.
“It’s not commonly known, but Australia was the third country in the whole world to send a rocket into space – from Woomera in the 1950s,” Williams said.
Meanwhile, ‘The Last Bread Pudding’ and ‘The Struggles’ will also delight audiences.
The season is running from Friday, 15 July, from 8pm; to Saturday, 16 July, from 8pm.
A Sunday matinee will feature on 17 July at 3pm.
Tickets are $15 ($12 for concession).
Gemco members enjoy a two-for-one off, which is available at www.gemcoplayers.org or by calling 0411 723 530.
Tickets can be purchased at the door.
The Gem Community Arts Centre is located at 19 Kilvington Drive, Emerald.
