The success of plays like Nick Payne’s “Constellations” and Jennifer Haley’s “The Nether”—both West End transfers—proves there’s a hunger for intellectual and science-based theater.
Playwrights based in the U.K. are taking the charge, but Los Angeles is spearheading a movement on this side of the pond with the start of Sci-Fest LA: the Los Angeles Science Fiction One-Act Play Festival. Founded by actor David Dean Bottrell (“Boston Legal”) and seasoned theater producers Michael Blaha and Lee Costello, the festival debuted in May of last year to rave reviews from the likes of LA Weekly and the Huffington Post.
The festival’s lineup of 15-minute sci-fi theater productions included work from Ursula K. Le Guin and Ray Bradbury, with plays featuring actors from franchises such as “Star Trek,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and “Supernatural.”
“Both the critical response and the support we received last year from the L.A. creative community totally altered the landscape for us,” Bottrell told Backstage in an email about the monthlong festival running May 7–31. “This year we are producing shows from Neil Gaiman and Clive Barker—both huge icons in the sci-fi and fantasy worlds.... We hope we can continue to grow the festival into a larger ‘convention-like’ event that will attract fans from all over the globe.”
With over 700 submissions, the festival has bumped this year’s lineup to 10 plays, which will touch on themes of breaking up in multiple dimensions; a dictator coming face-to-face with a victim who’s now an unstoppable killing machine; debates over human history and race in a future classroom on a distant planet; and more.
“We’re looking for what every theater is looking for: innovation and quality in the writing,” said Bottrell. “Most of our shows are only about 15 minutes long, so we need the story to grab the audience in the first 60 seconds and then take them on a journey that they didn’t see coming.”
This year, sticking to its fan festival roots in both creation and accessibility, the creators have kept entrance reasonably priced and will bring in more actors from the “Star Trek” franchise, in addition to ones from newer shows, such as Jeryl Prescott Sales from “The Walking Dead” and Dale Dickey of “True Blood.” And because it’s L.A., expect visuals and special effects to be awesome, said the co-creator.
But even with great visuals, the singular stories are the main drives for Sci-Fest LA. “If you’re writing sci-fi material for the stage, be brave and push the boundaries a little,” suggested Bottrell. “Take on topics that are scary or fun [or both]. Come up with stuff that connects to the anxiety of our times; it’s very hard to turn those kind of scripts down.” In addition, Bottrell said to young playwrights looking to submit their work to the festival next year: “Learn to be a savage editor of your work.”
For more information, visit sci-festla.com.
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