City Theatre's Summer Shorts program features new 10-minute plays, old favorites
MIAMI - They call City Theatre's Summer Shorts program "The coolest thing to do on a hot summer's night."
The festival, starting June 2nd at the Arsht Center's Carnival Studio Theater, features new 10-minute plays as well as fresh revivals of past festival favorites, written by the country's best playwrights.
Susan Westfall, who co-founded the program back in 1996, said every year it gets bigger and better.
"It's 'Forrest Gumps' box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get, you never know what you're gonna like and that's the whole idea. There's a buffet of theater," said Westfall.
A buffet that includes comedies, dramas, musicals, and more, all performed by local actors.
This year is "21 Chump Street," a cautionary tale about an honor student who will do anything for his new crush. This was written and first performed by legendary playwright and actor Lin Manuel Miranda.
"If you are a fan of his work such as 'In the Heights' and 'Hamilton,' and you come sit for the 12 minutes of '21 Chump Street,' in which there are five songs, you will walk out with earworms because the lyrics are so catchy," she said.
Live theatre actor Tom Wahl, who's a Summer Shorts veteran of 24 years, and plays the narrator in Lin Manuel's play, said rejoining on stage with his 7 other cast members is everything.
"The company of Summer Shorts is always just so tight and we have so much fun and love each other so much. So, to all be back after that amount of time it's just a gift," Wahl said.
"You just come, sit and spend two hours and you will see 10 plays and they will take you everywhere. You will jump out of an airplane and learn how to tango. You will just be engaged," said Westfall.
City Theatre's Summer Shorts is on at The Arsht Center from June 2 through July 2. The shows are on Thursdays through Sundays.
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