Town Players of Newtown to Present West Hartford Playwright

Published On: June 10, 2024Categories: Arts, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Reader Contributed
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Stuart Brown at the Palace Theater in Waterbury on July 12, 2021. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

A series of 10-Minute plays by West Hartford playwright Stuart Brown are being produced by the Town Players of Newtown theatrical company.

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West Hartford playwright Stuart Brown will have seven of his 10-Minute plays staged on Friday, June 21 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 22 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, June 23 at 2 p.m. at the Town Players of Newtown theatrical company. There will be a talk back after the Sunday performance.

The event is a fundraiser for the theater. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at:  https://www.showclix.com/tickets/town-players-of-newtown-one-acts-mxw2m0b

Brown, who retired after 32 years as Director of Student Services at UConn-Waterbury, has had his works presented in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Texas, and via the British podcast, Theatrical Shenanigans.  “I’m very excited to be bringing my plays to a theater in my home state,” said Brown.

The playwright began writing 10-Minute plays over a year ago. They are rooted in personal experience and observation. Most of the works are comedic.

“My play, The Drawing, came about during a period when it seemed every lotto drawing was for an unbelievable amount of money. I thought – what would I do with all that money if I won? The Wait concerns a theater critic and his friend who are caught in the gridlock of audience members leaving the theater after a performance of Mamma Mia!”

Not all of the plays are humorous. “The Suitcase, involves a married couple coming to a major decision about their life together,” the West Hartford resident stated. “It has a serious theme with a surprise ending that no one sees coming. I saw it staged last month in Rhode Island and I had a tear in my eye at the end – and I wrote it.”

According to Brown, who is also the president of the Connecticut Critics Circle, a good 10-Minute play has a fully realized arc – a beginning, middle and end – just like a full length play. “These are not just random scenes,” he said, “but complete mini-productions. I also make sure to incorporate an unexpected twist that catches the audience off-guard.”

In addition to his playwrighting, Brown runs the 24/7 online Broadway radio station, SoundsofBroadway.com, featuring the best from Off-Broadway, Broadway, and the London stages.

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