About the Play:

NextFest is an annual springtime multi-disciplinary arts festival in Edmonton, Alberta. The edgy festival is dedicated to providing professional development opportunities and exposure to emerging artists in theatre, film, music, dance, and visual art.

Nextfest Anthology II is collection of five captivating plays chosen from he festival's second five years, 2001-2005. Timely, provocative, witty, uncanny, and illuminating, these plays highlight innovative talents that will leave you breathless.

The diverse plays found in Nextfest Anthology II challenge you to go beyond Nextfest, beyond the stage, into the world of imagination unbound. Join a group of marionettes as they explore a strange new world; delve into the humorous and ironic personal tale of a young Métis actor and comedian; submerge yourself in a bizarre honeymoon in Spain; enter the world of reality TV and feel yourself losing control; experience a cyber-obsessed life on Edmonton's Whyte Avenue. This anthology contains:

Beneath the Deep Blue Sky by Rob Bartel

Citrus by Janis Craft

Code Word: Time by Leah Simone Bowen: A maintenance man distracted by his aspirations to become a filmmaker leaves three strangers trapped in an elevator. This poignantly dark comedy on new media is perhaps even more relevant in today's fast-paced world of online social connectedness. (Premiered at NextFest in 2001; Cast: 1 woman, 3 men)

Grumplestock's by Kevin Jesuino, Trish Lorenz, and Jonathan Stewart

Métis Mutt by acclaimed Métis artist Sheldon Elter, with Kenneth Brown: Comedic, heartbreaking and unpredictable, this semi-autobiographical performance piece recounts the journey of a young Métis man finding his way out of a destructive cycle. (Cast: 1 man)

About the Editor:

Steve Pirot is a Canadian actor, director, playwright, and theatre mentor. A tireless supporter of young and indie talent and original work, he was 15 years he was the intrepid leader of Nextfest. He currently the Artistic Director of iHuman Youth Society in Edmonton, Alberta.