Nevada Conservatory Theatre proudly presents the world premiere of “Shorts: Climate Plays” – a series of 10-minute plays by exciting American playwrights – Feb. 27-March 9 in the Paul Harris Theatre (HFA).
Tickets are $30 and available at the UNLV Performing Arts Center box office, online, or by calling 702-895-ARTS (2787). Discounts are available.
"I am so thrilled to bring these brilliant writers to Las Vegas audiences," said department of theatre chair and NCT executive director, Kirsten Brandt. "They each possess a diversity of style and voice, and I have been a fan of these creators for years. We asked them to write on the theme 'Climate' as climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. They all created poignant, funny, and irreverent, celebrations of the human spirit. Character driven, these plays uniquely tackle the theme with panache, care, and theatricality."
NCT is honored to present these world premieres as part of the David and Stephanie Vondrak Short Play Festival Fund. The David and Stephanie Vondrak Short Play Festival is a three-year project. Each year NCT will commission writers to create 10-minute plays around a specific theme to be performed by the students at UNLV.
"Stephanie has been a huge supporter of arts at UNLV," said Brandt. "We are honored and grateful that she shares our vision to amplify new American voices in theatre."
The Shorts
A Little More Time in Paradise - by Christopher Oscar Peña, directed by A Public Fit Theatre Artistic Director Ann-Marie Pereth
A group of old friends reunites at their childhood sanctuary deep in the wilderness to scatter the ashes of a beloved friend. But the years have changed them, and together they attempt to navigate their past in an ever-changing world. As old wounds resurface, they must confront the ties that bind them, the love they've lost, and the lives they’ve left behind. A Little More Time in Paradise is a poignant and heartbreaking narrative about the passage of time and the painful necessity of moving on.
Cul-De-Sac - by Kimber Lee, directed by A Public Fit Theatre Artistic Director Ann-Marie Pereth
In the sweltering heat of a waterless suburb, three women decide to take their survival into their own hands by stealing water from a passing tanker. Their simple plan quickly begins to test their friendship, and everyone’s sense of morality. Darkly comedic and unsettling, Cul-De-Sac is a sharp satire on privilege, desperation, and the lengths people will go to preserve their lives.
Fear and Funghi - by Lucky Stiff, directed by Adriana Chavez
On a quiet night, two friends wait for a comet, passing time with laughter, existential musings – and kombucha. Beneath their casual banter, deeper thoughts about family struggles and climate dread surface, and the two begin to explore the idea of eternity. As their bond deepens, their connection to the earth and each other grows in unexpected ways. Fear and Funghi is a poetic meditation on love and impermanence, asking us: What if the end is only the beginning?
Sweetwater - by Chisa Hutchinson, directed by Vegas Theatre Company Artistic Director Daz Weller
A young person with terminal cancer takes on Big Business in a courtroom battle over air pollution. Though the defense tries to shift blame to the victim himself, his testimony paints a heartbreaking picture of corporate negligence. Sweetwater touches on a devastating irony within the courtroom case, in a powerful exploration of environmental harm, corporate greed, and the personal toll of systemic injustice.
The Knaves - by Caridad Svich, directed by Majestic Theatre Company Artistic Director Troy Heard
Set in a forgotten desert town once teeming with life, The Knaves is a poetic exploration of survival and the haunting emptiness of a land consumed by neglect. Tour guide Ace leads visitors through a world that has long since lost its vitality, alongside two mysterious and enigmatic companions. As they reflect on the past and wrestle with their own desires for love, recognition, and meaning, the land speaks in fragments of longing and loss. This evocative work delves into the haunting power of memory and the hunger for redemption in a world that has forgotten how to hope.
The Wait - music by Richard Oberacker, book and lyrics by Richard Oberacker and Robert Taylor, directed by Vegas Theatre Company Artistic Director Daz Weller
This emotionally charged musical follows a mother stranded with her child in the attic of their flooded home, as she makes a desperate 911 call. On the other end, a harried and overwhelmed emergency response operator tries to help, but the raging storm and rising floodwaters create a rush against time. The two form an unlikely bond, finding themselves navigating a shared sense of uncertainty and urgency. Amidst the looming threat of the unknown, they discover that sometimes all it takes is one person – one small act – to make a difference.
About the UNLV College of Fine Arts
The College of Fine Arts educates, empowers, and engages creative people to become visionary change-makers in the arts through acts of imagination. At UNLV we believe the arts are an essential good for society. We make education relevant and accessible through our programs and outreach. We create new knowledge in the arts. We celebrate independent thought and the power of bringing people together to foster creativity.
