BCT delivers variety with 35th annual One Act Festival

May 9—Much like an assorted box of Dewar's chews, a one-act festival offers a little something for everyone. Expect Bakersfield Community Theatre to offer drama, comedy, fantasy and more for its show opening this weekend.

This is the 35th festival for the South Chester Avenue theater, which has been in operation since 1927.

Deva Wiloth, who organized the festival, said its six one-act plays were selected from nearly 20 submissions from local writers or those with local ties.

All the works highlight area talent from the writers and directors to performers, many of whom are in more than one play.

The festival opens with "The Procession," written by Jason Rupert and directed by Kathy Autwell.

It explores the idea of having a second chance to do things a little differently in your life before it's over.

Wiloth said audiences will likely be surprised by the one-act that features Xavier Chavez, Hunter Wolosz, Divyang Motavar, Cody White, Jenna Fernandez, Denica Nabor and Natalie Rasavong.

She wrote in an email, "The whole cast was surprised by the ending of it; when I read it I was surprised with the ending. It's obvious what it's about but who is the surprising part."

The festival's five other one-acts are:

"The Waiting Room" (written by Timothy Zuniga, directed by Josh Carruthers): An angel (Stephanie "Bee" Borges) and demon (Jenna Fernandez) explain to a group of souls (Hunter Wolosz, Deva Wiloth, Denica Nabor and Kristen Sanders) if they are going to heaven or hell.

"Escape Clause" (written by Barbara Gagnon, directed by Kristen Sanders): Friends Tami (Elizabeth Wurster) and Kim's (Deva Wiloth) plan to shop for bathing suits doesn't turn out as planned. Also features Stephanie "Bee" Borges.

"For Sale, Maybe" (written by Barbara Gagnon, directed by Lindsay Pearson): Brenda (Deva Wiloth) demands answers after she wakes to find Ethel (Vickie Strickland), a stranger, sitting on her couch.

"The Strand that Beads You" (written by Allison Fradkin, directed by Deva Wiloth): Turquoise (Stephanie "Bee" Borges) is a pony bead who won't get off her high horse and fellow bead Magenta (Josh Carruthers) doesn't hesitate to read her the riot act. It's up to Rainbow Heart (Jenna Fernandez), a charm who's both intrusive and inclusive, to hang in there long enough to try and string these beads together.

"Two Days Past the Expiration Date" (written by Timothy Zuniga, directed by Vickie Stricklind): Rosa (Lindsay Pearson) is waiting for her sister, Ava (Faith Thompson), to make it home one last time before she's gone.

Along with producing, Wiloth stayed busy directing and performing in the festival, which required a lot of time management and scheduling.

"Luckily with the one-acts, rehearsals are super easy and scripts are relatively easy," she wrote. "It's been a lot of fun getting to be a part of each one act I'm involved with this year and getting to play with my friends onstage and bring these stories to life."

Wiloth encourages people to come out to the show for a fun theater experience and possibly some inspiration. The next One Act Festival will be held in January and a call for scripts will go out soon.

Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.