By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A high school student forms an unexpected bond with a teacher from his school. A couple that owns a cat insists that they do not live within the context of a Broadway musical. Estranged band members meet up at the bar where they had their big break. A famous food critic gets sent on a bizarre assignment. And a pair of sentient garden gnomes get snatched from their beloved home and spirited away to the new one. These intriguing short stories, all locally sourced, are set to appear soon on a Burlington stage.
The City of Burlington is brimming with talented playwrights and performers. Starting on Friday, May 29, 2026, Theatre Burlington on New Street will allow them the opportunity to showcase their well-honed skills on the stage during its annual short play festival. Titled “Playtime,” this exciting lineup will consist of a series of eight ten-minute plays from the minds of bright local writers, brought to life by bright local actors. Both writers and actors are recognizable for their participation in local community theatres, including Drury Lane Theatre, just a ten-minute walk away from Theatre Burlington.
“I hope our committee has chosen eight plays that the audience will find enjoyable and leave saying, ‘I had no idea 10-minute plays could be so good, I can’t wait to see what next year’s festival has to offer,’” says producer Valerie King, who is also directing the short play Don’t Go There, set to premiere on opening night. “We have made changes between play transitions that should make it quicker and much smoother.”
“All the plays have been well chosen. I can’t say there is one particular one that stands out as being more exciting to see staged than another,” King continues. “They are all very different and will provoke a myriad of emotions for the audience. What I can say is, we have some award-winning playwrights returning this year, such as Michael Brown and Kate Racheter. They complement the other talented returning playwrights, such as Glen Benison and Tony Corrie.”
Don’t Go There, written by the aforementioned Glen Benison, concerns a mother and an adult son in the year 1887 whose quiet meeting in a café is threatened by the presence of a troublemaker loitering outside. This small snippet of life will present a realistic scene, where everyday public activities collide with unexpected danger. The festival later includes an exercise of magical realism with Michael Brown’s Gnomes, in which two kidnapped garden gnomes come to life and come to terms with their fates in their unfamiliar new garden. Historical fiction will also play a part in the festival with the premiere of Julie Dixon’s Ella’s Madrigal, an introspective piece about jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald’s life and legendary rise to fame.
Local actor and playwright Greg Flis has penned Seeing Old Friends, a brief reconciliation between two childhood acquaintances that quickly sinks into a disturbing storytelling session. It’s a psychological study of how people you haven’t seen in years become utterly unrecognizable when you meet them again in person.
“It’s supposed to sound oh-so-friendly and comforting, but it is an uncomfortable, unsettling examination of a somewhat psychotic mind,” says Flis on his piece. “I wrote the play based on a true incident or two which I recalled from childhood, but somehow the one character took on a warped life I did not expect.”
Local actress Abigail Clarke is set to play matriarch Lou Boone McIver in Don’t Go There. When asked about how she plans to get into character for a role that only has a quick ten minutes of stage time, this was her response:
“I do a lot of character study work to dive into the mindset of a character. I will do a meditation exercise, or I will find a song that reminds me of the role I am playing,” says Clarke, who is looking forward to the challenge. “I find music is a very powerful tool to help me get into character. I also really enjoy writing journals for each character I play to help me understand them more.”
“Even with a short 10-minute play, there is still a lot you can learn and piece together to give character depth and authenticity!” Clarke continues. She and the rest of the actors participating in the annual Short Play Festival are striving to achieve memorable performances in the short time permitted to them on stage.
According to Valerie King, the committee for the Short Play Festival has decided to omit the usual audience Q&A after each performance this year. Audience members who have inquiries about the short plays can direct their questions to the email production@theatreburlington.on.ca. In your email, be sure to indicate which actor, director, or playwright your questions are for, so that they can be sent along to the appropriate party.
The first showing of “Playtime” will be on May 29, 2026, at 7 p.m. There are also matinees and evening performances available on May 30, June 5, and June 6, 2026. To purchase tickets and find more information, please visit the Theatre Burlington website directly. After “Playtime” wraps up, Theatre Burlington will begin preparations for their upcoming fall production of Vern Thiessen’s social commentary drama Icemen, directed by Tim Denis and produced by Maureen Dwyer. In this play, two employees during the Great Depression, whose livelihoods are under threat, kidnap their boss to obtain justice and compensation. It’s set to be an intense viewing experience. Interested theatregoers can check the Theatre Burlington site for available tickets closer to the fall season.
