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IMCOM-Europe hosts One Page Play Festival

By IMCOM-Europe EntertainmentOctober 20, 2023

Actors participate in the One Page Play Festival at USAG Ansbach.
Actors participate in the One Page Play Festival at USAG Ansbach. (Photo Credit: Courtesy Photo) VIEW ORIGINAL

SEMBACH, Germany – U.S. Army Installation Management Command Europe's G-9 Entertainment presented the 2023 One Page Play Festival and Theatre Skills Workshop Oct. 8-10 at the Ansbach Terrace Playhouse in Ansbach, Germany.

Since 1995, Army Europe Entertainment has presented an annual theater festival to encourage individual and group excellence and participation throughout the Army and U.S. forces Europe community theater programs.

Army Europe Entertainment staff and volunteers from Italy, Belgium and Germany gathered to participate in the festival. Professional adjudicators and workshop leaders from the U.S., the U.K. and Norway were brought in for the festival.

Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Carbonne, U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach, welcomed the participants on the opening night of the festival.

“We are really pleased to host the 28th annual Army Entertainment festival here in our hometown, USAG Ansbach,” Carbonne said. “I know the Ansbach Terrace Playhouse staff will do a great job for you.”

The 2023 festival included a One Page Play Writing Workshop; a theater adjudication seminar; a monologue competition; a professional guest show from the U.K.; a Broadway Vocal Master Class presented by a Broadway and West End, London star; and an awards recognition ceremony.

“This was really an outstanding festival,” said Dane Winters, IMCOM Europe Entertainment program manager. “Attendance was down a little compared to previous years, but the staff and volunteers actually produced more than ever before.”

Victoria Hanrahan, USAG Ansbach Entertainment director and director of the Ansbach Terrace Playhouse, explained the One Page Play Festival.

“A few years ago, (the Army Entertainment Staff) were exploring ways to not only train our volunteers, but to offer them a chance to really work together and collaborate,” Hanrahan explained. “Thus, the One Page Play Festival was born.

"It was a big success in two ways,” Hanrahan said. “The Soldiers and their families really enjoyed the collaboration and the creativity of working with each other. On top of that, two of the brand-new plays created were considered by U.S. copyright companies for publication.”

Led by guest workshop leader Paul Bourne, director of Cambridge’s Menagerie Theatre Company in the U.K., the entertainment staff and volunteer participants spent Saturday morning writing one-page plays. This year, staff and participants from seven military communities wrote 17 one-page plays which were fully produced - the most ever presented.

“This year, there was so much enthusiasm,” said Bourne. “There were just so many truly interesting scripts, we needed to produce all of them.”

Bourne added, “It was a bit of a scramble to cast, direct and produce that many scrips in only two days, but it was important to showcase the talent of each participant.”

At this year's One Page Play Festival, staff and participants from seven military communities wrote 17 one-page plays which were fully produced - the most ever presented.
At this year's One Page Play Festival, staff and participants from seven military communities wrote 17 one-page plays which were fully produced - the most ever presented. (Photo Credit: Courtesy Photo) VIEW ORIGINAL

After the new plays were presented, awards were presented for outstanding creativity.

Three professional adjudicators selected the top three new one-page plays.

First Place Best One Page Play was awarded to Nate Records from the Wiesbaden Amelia Earhart Playhouse for his script “The Box.” Second Place went to Alyssa Ellis of the Ansbach Terrace Playhouse for “Two People on a Couch.” The new script “Living” brought Leslie Gale-Dana’y from the Stuttgart Theater Center a third-place prize.

The professional judges weren’t the only ones to share their opinions. The audience had a chance to weigh in and select their favorites.

The first place Audience Choice Award was shared in a tie between “Two People on a Couch” by Alyssa Ellis, the Ansbach Terrace Playhouse, and “Hugs on a Train” by Ryan Rigazzi of the SHAPE Performing Arts Center. Second place was awarded to Amy Ennis of the Wiesbaden Amelia Earhart Playhouse for “Penne.” Marissa Blake of Vicenza’s Soldiers Theatre received the third-place award for her script “Wishes.”

The judges also presented the “Outstanding Theatrical Moment in a New One Page Play” award to Jeanne Ragonese of the Sigonella Players, for her script “Nino.”

Awards were also presented in the annual festival monologue competition.

“The monologue competition is always very popular with our performing volunteers and a crowd favorite,” said Winters.

“This year, the first-place winner won one-on-one, private, video coaching with Broadway and West End performer, Phillip Hernandez,” Winters said. “Phillip is very successful actor and a nationally renowned acting coach. Having a chance to work with him is an incredible opportunity for one of our Army Entertainment participants.”

First Place monologue went to Magi Ritscher from the Ansbach Terrace Playhouse. Second place was Christine Scutt of the Stuttgart Theater Center. Third place was awarded to Jeanne Ragonese, from Sicily and the Sigonella Players.

Along with the one-page play workshop, the participants also attended a seminar on theater adjudication presented by two international adjudicators.

Three participants also had the opportunity to be coached by Phillip Hernandez in a video Broadway Vocal Master Class. Mallory Teufel of KMC Onstage, Zoe Stubbs of the Ansbach Terrace Playhouse, and Jeanne Ragonese of the Sigonella Players received personal coaching from Hernandez.

Teufel was very enthusiastic about working with the Broadway star.

“I had a fantastic time!” she said. “The coaching I received was amazing and I got so much out of it.”

“It was an amazing opportunity to work with such a successful performer,” said Ragonese. “He really is a wonderful teacher.”

The festival culminated in a guest performance from the U.K. called “Nan, Me & Barbara Pravi.” Playwright and performer, Hannah Maxwell, has been part of the Army Entertainment festival in the past.

“In 2021, Hannah presented her first one-woman show at our festival,” said Winters. “She is a very talented performance artist, playwright and actress.

“She just finished a five-star reviewed, sold-out performance of her new show at the Edinburgh Festival last August,” Winters added. “We are incredibly fortunate she shares her time and talent with our staff and volunteers.”

The complete list of award winners, a list of new plays written, and official photos are available at www.ArmyEuropeEntertainment.com or https://www.armymwr.com/ArmyEuropeEntertainment/our-entertainment-programs-and-events.