Art Beat review: EDP’s 15th Annual Festival of Shorts

Life’s defining moments are not always found in grand milestones, but in quieter experiences: acts of integrity, discoveries about family history, enduring relationships and the ways we move through grief.

The Edmonds Driftwood Players’ (EDP’s) 15th Annual Festival of Shorts returns with this year’s theme, “Milestones: markers in time of significant achievements or events.” Selected from around 300 submissions worldwide, the festival features eight short-play finalists, eight directors and eight casts. 

My Neighborhood News Group attended the final dress rehearsal, where Managing Director Katie Soulé welcomed the audience before the performance began. Soulé noted that some elements might differ from opening night as the production team continued refining the work.

The stage was already set for the first play: a work desk, a coat hanger and a partition, with a large projection screen at the back introducing the festival. Jazz played throughout the theater as the audience exchanged hellos and waited for the evening’s performance to begin.

Act 1

‘Poll Tax for Sista Blu’

By Clarence Holmes, Jr. | Directed by Diane Jamieson and co-directed by Claudine Pruitt| Featuring Travis Hickox and Cara Thomas

Synopsis: After crossing the Pettus Bridge in a torrential rainstorm to reach the only polling place available to “colored” voters, waitress Sista Blu hopes to cast her ballot after paying the required poll tax. Instead, she faces a literacy test that threatens to deny her the right to vote.

First, we meet Travis Hickox as the Poll Worker. Hickox captures the character’s impatient energy, speaking curtly with a furrowed brow that suggests he’d rather be anywhere else but there. Lighting and thunder effects establish that a storm is brewing, mirroring perhaps the tension unfolding onstage.

Cara Thomas then enters as Sista Blu, dressed in a 1950s-style blue dress, white stockings, low-heeled shoes and a matching blue handbag. She peers over her glasses as she speaks and carries a slight wobble in her walk, conveying her age without diminishing the character’s perseverance. Thomas delivers a memorable performance, portraying Sista Blu as both charming and witty as she hopes to cast her ballot for the first time.

The play feels like a snapshot of history, engaging the audience in a moment that reflects the realities of the era. The scene is so convincing that I found myself glaring at the Poll Worker.

The production closes with Aretha Franklin’s Respect, a fitting conclusion that underscores the play’s themes of dignity and the right to be seen and valued.

Before the second play, the lights dim as furniture moves on and off the stage. Music continues to accompany the beginning and ending of each new play, guiding the audience’s mood and drawing us into each new story.

‘Hello’

By Dana Leslie Goldstein | Directed by Vicki Wicks | Featuring Amalia Best, Jennifer Nielsen and Marty Wicks

Synopsis: On her parents’ anniversary, Tina visits her mother and father separately at their retirement community, confronting the reality of a marriage that ended years ago.

The stage is visually divided, suggesting two separate living spaces, with each side representing a small living room area. Most of the conversations happen over the phone, allowing the audience to observe both places, at the same time, as the story continues.

Jennifer Nielsen enters as Loretta, a mother whose care is expressed through careful measuring. Amalia Best plays Tina, the daughter caught between her parents’ lingering tensions. Marty Wicks portrays Herman, the father, wearing suspenders, a bathrobe and slippers. His unassuming character is immediately endearing.

Nielsen presents Loretta as invested in both her own health and everyone else’s, revealing a character whose concerns can sometimes resemble control. Best captures Tina’s position between care and frustration and Wicks brings gentle humor and warmth to Herman. Together, the actors create a family dynamic that feels honest.

At its heart, the play explores the complicated ways love is expressed and experienced.

‘Goats of Olympus Mons’

By Evan Baughfman | Directed by Kiera Stevens | Featuring Keith Remon and Jordan Soules

Synopsis: On Christmas Eve, Cassie visits her widowed father, Walter, as both struggle with the recent loss of their wife and mother. Through shared memories and unexpected gifts, the pair begin to find a way forward together.

The audience first meets Keith Remon as Walter, lounging in a sofa chair during Christmas. His daughter, Cassie, played by Jourdan Soules, is the complete opposite, decked out in holiday cheer, including a Christmas-tree headpiece. Their father-daughter dynamic is captivating.

Remon delivers several humorous lines, including Walter’s, “I wasn’t a total long-lost astronaut, was I?” Soules matches the humor with Cassie’s line: “Mom was a transformer?!” Their playful exchanges bring lightness while balancing the play’s emotional weight.

The production tugs at the heartstrings, particularly through Soules’ portrayal of a daughter still grieving the loss of her mother. She captures both vulnerability and resilience, while Remon brings warmth and humor to Walter. Together, the actors create a relationship that feels genuine and deeply human.

The play is candy cane sweet without becoming overly sentimental. Like its carefully constructed story, the initially puzzling title reflects the play’s thoughtful craftsmanship, making its meaning all the more satisfying once it’s revealed.

‘True Ties’ 

By Sheila Strehle | Directed by Julie L. Benner | Featuring Karee Legend, Nora Legend and Onyx Bryan

Synopsis: A grieving young man travels to an unfamiliar town in search of answers about his past and uncovers a long-hidden mystery. What begins as a quest for facts ultimately leads to an unexpected connection that offers an unexpected possibility.

Written by local playwright Sheila Strehle, True Ties has a condensed quality. A poetry teacher once told me that a poem is like a novel distilled to its essence, and this play evokes that same feeling. It suggests a much larger story while focusing only on the moments that matter most.

Karee Legend plays Mildred, an employee in the Department of Health’s Vital Statistics office. Mildred appears in what looks like 1950s business attire, complete with glasses and a pompadour. Her son, Jimmy, played by Nora Legend, enters wearing a baseball cap, capturing the casual vibe of a teen.

The script includes moments of humor, including when Mildred accidentally refers to Spider-Man as “Speedoman.” Later, Jake enters, played by Onyx Bryan, seeking his birth certificate after discovering he was adopted.

Karee Legend delivers a nuanced performance, balancing empathy and nervousness. Bryan portrays Jake with sincerity, making his search for answers feel personal.

The play comes full circle in its final moments, bringing the story to a satisfying conclusion. 

My favorite moment occurs when Mildred and Jake stand on opposite corners of the stage, each narrating their inner thoughts directly to the audience, spotlighting the connection between them.

Act II

‘First Time’ 

By Dana Schwartz | Directed by Michael Cimino | Featuring Jourdan Soules and Jack Miller

Synopsis: On the eve of leaving for college, longtime friends Agnes and Russell grapple with change, uncertainty and their evolving relationship after sharing a major first time together.

The set immediately establishes the scene: a large red sleeping bag lies on the floor in front of a sofa and two large water jugs sit on each side, suggesting perhaps the aftermath of a late night. The projection adds a layer of humor, depicting stairs leading down into what appears to be a parent’s basement, complete with the kind of posters often found in a teen’s room.

Jourdan Soules makes her second appearance of the evening as Agnes, bringing the character to life with spirited, strong-willed innocence. Agnes is candid, unassimilable and instantly likeable, questioning long-held beliefs and language in ways that feel relatable.

Jack Miller plays Russell with equal candor. Miller and Soules share natural chemistry, drawing the audience into a friendship that feels honest.

The play embraces the awkwardness of youth – the uncertainty and vulnerability that comes with growing up. Of the evening’s productions, this one carries the subtlest bit of cheekiness. With its understated approach and the actor’s charisma, the story has a distinctive charm.

‘Waiting on Mom, Who Already Left’

By John Busser | Directed by Brandon Jepson | Featuring Nicole Lockett, Travis Hickox and Robert Quick

Synopsis: At their mother’s funeral home, a brother and sister navigate grief and their differing views on life, death and what comes next.

Travis Hickox returns to the stage as Scott, alongside Nicole Lockett as his sister, Jackie. Robert Quick rounds out the cast as Mr. Donovan, the funeral home caretaker.

Lockett’s portrayal of Jackie feels thoughtful. Her expressions and reactions create a character who feels familiar. Dressed appropriately for a funeral and visibly exhausted from organizing her mother’s service, Jackie takes her shoes off, a small detail that communicates both physical and emotional fatigue.

Hickox showcases his versatility with a performance that contrasts sharply with his Poll Worker in Poll Tax for Sista Blu. As Scott, he brings more humor, adding well-timed comedy to the complex sibling dynamic.

The play balances grief with the everyday interactions that continue even during moments of loss.

‘Two Nights at Casey’s’ 

By Jay D Cross | Directed by Thomas A. Glass | Featuring Jay Vilhauer, Jack Miller, Dawn Cornell and Amalia Best

Synopsis: A couple revisits two defining moments in their relationship: their first date and a wedding anniversary, as both nights unfold simultaneously at the same restaurant.

The stage is again split in two, but this time the divide represents two different time periods rather than two separate locations. A projection of a city skyline at night, establishes the setting as both versions of the characters share a table at a ritzy city restaurant.

Written by local playwright Jay D Cross, the play features Jack Miller as Younger Jack and Amalia Best as Younger Rebecca, while Jay Vilhauer portrays Older Jack and Dawn Cornell plays Older Rebecca. I recently saw Cornell in Silver Lining, and once again she brings a sparkling stage presence that immediately draws the audience in.

One of the production’s strengths is the way the younger and older actors mirror one another. Audience members chuckle as each pair repeats the other’s phrases and mannerisms. Miller, Vilhauer, Best and Cornell convincingly portray the same people at different stages of life.

Cornell’s Older Rebecca suggests early on that something deeper lies beneath the surface. As the lighting isolates one couple at a time, the other freezes in shadow, creating a striking visual rhythm.

“So much of who I am is because of what happened 40 years ago,” Older Rebecca says, a line that captures the play’s emotional gravity.

What begins with humor gradually shifts into something more reflective and deeply human.

‘Erstwhile’

By Jacquelyn Priskorn | Directed by Kaitlyn Casimo | Featuring Krista Marken, Nicole Lockett and Michele Palmer

Synopsis: As their father transitions into memory care, Daphne and Joy sort through his belongings and discover notes that reveal memories of who he was and the word “erstwhile” is found on several notes they find around the house.

The evening concludes with the final play, featuring Krista Marken as Daphne, Nicole Lockett in her second role of the night as Daphne’s sister Joy, and Michelle Palmer as their mother Louise.

The play opens with the family packing, allowing the audience to watch the characters in motion as the story unfolds and creating visual depth. Their relationships emerge naturally through their interactions.

The title Erstwhile remained somewhat elusive to me, appearing only in the sticky notes left behind by the father. Merriam-Webster defines “erstwhile” as “former” or “formerly,” a meaning that feels entwined to a story about memory loss. 

As Daphne and Joy sort through their father’s belongings, they piece together fragments of who he was – like new word tiles being added to a Scrabble board – and the cast assembles a portrait of a man who is no longer able to tell his own story.

Scene transitions flowed smoothly, and staging supported the performance’s quick shifts. The EDP’s entire production team, including Producer Katie Soulé, Co-Stage Managers Greg Pruitt and Yuna Verzosa, Co-Scenic Coordinator Rex Goulding, Properties Designer Bethany Arneson, Projection Designer Joey Tirado, Lighting Designer Brent Stainer, Sound Designer Henry S. Brown, Jr. and Costumers Jana Harmon and Kate Cavanaugh deserve credit for the seamless delivery of all eight plays. 

Beyond the individual plays, the festival succeeds in creating a cohesive evening from eight distinct voices. 

After the final curtain falls, EDP will announce the playwright winners for 1st , 2nd, and 3rd Place Judges’ Awards and announce the Overall Audience Favorite. 

Will you take part in it?

Performances continue through June 28 at the Wade James Theatre in Edmonds. Tickets are available online or by phone at 425-774-9600. Some content is best suited for teens and adults.

Based in Edmonds, Nahline Gouin is a freelance writer, ceramicist and arts advocate with experience in art museums and performing arts centers. She continues to create with clay, homeschool her son and write as a creative practice.