The two-day festival will bring local actors, directors and writers together to present eight one-act plays.
Tracy Performing Arts Foundation managing director Mary Carr said the idea for the festival has been in the works for some time.
“We had been kicking the idea on how to get more people involved and reach out to a regional audience,” Carr said.
Carr hopes the festival’s plays will have enough diversity to bring the audience to the outdoor stage at the winery.
“It gives you a variety of things to see in one place — a different interpretation of things in one place.” she said.
The foundation decided this spring to host the festival and invited writers to submit plays. Carr originally expected to receive entries from writers who would also direct the plays, but the foundation eventually had to call for some directors.
Thirteen submissions from as far away as New York were narrowed to eight that would be performed over two nights.
A cast of 25 actors will bring the various comedies and dramas to life. Plays have as few as two actors and as many as the 11 who will bring to life “Voices,” which will be shown Aug. 10.
In the one-act format, plays can run anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, according to Carr, which brings some special challenges to the actors.
“The one-act play is harder to do,” Carr explained. “Even though the overall length is shorter, the play is like a marathon, because there aren’t any breaks in it. It’s not broken into little pieces for the actors.”
Carr will direct Matt Cav’s “An Ambiguous Bliss of Being Blind” on Saturday, one of two performances that have mature content — though Carr said the plays don’t contain anything worse than the language or subject matter one would expect to see on TV.
Other local directors in the festival are Jonathan Carr, Don Bisbee and Christine Allgretti.
Actors for the eight plays are from Tracy, Stockton and Modesto, including several students.
A panel of judges and ballots from the audience will choose winners including best play, director, playwright, actor and actress.
Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and a picnic dinner, and wine will be available from the winery. Parking is limited, and visitors are encouraged to carpool, if possible.
Tickets are available online at www.tracyfest.com or can be purchased at the door prior to the performance. A weekend pass for both nights is $27 while admission to either the Friday or Saturday performance is $16.50.
At a glance
• WHAT: Tracy Performing Arts Foundation’s One-Act Play Festival
• WHEN: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Aug. 10 and Aug. 11
• WHERE: La Bon Vie Cellars, 29181 S. Lehman Road
• COST: $16.50 for one night, $27 for both nights
• INFO: www.tracyfest.com
Plays on display
Friday, Aug. 10
• “Special Delivery,” written by Malena Eijumaily, directed by Jonathan Carr
• “Cruel Mirages,” written by Bill Chessman, directed by Robert Gress
• “Standing at the Edge of the Universe of Disunity,” written by Stanley Toledo, directed by Don Bisbee
• “Voices” written by Kris Polson directed by Kellie Goodrum
Saturday, Aug. 11
• “Brazilians Manscaping, Mom and Me,” written and directed by Christine Allegretti
• “Enigma,” written by Floyd Dell, directed by Michael Acosta
• “What Sets Us Free,” written and directed by Diana Losen
• “An Ambiguous Bliss of Being Blind,” written by Matt Cav, directed by Mary Carr
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