Bloomington Playwrights Project puts on annual 'Shorts' festival

The Bloomington Playwrights Project opened its annual short plays festival "Puttin' On Our Shorts" last Friday. Founded by two IU graduates in 1979, the BPP has for more than 20 years provided Bloomington with an opportunity to see new and experimental theater in an intimate setting, as well as giving budding local playwrights, actors and actresses the chance to hone their skills in a performance setting. \n"Puttin' On Our Shorts" is, as the program puts it, "a festival of works in various stages of development with the intent of giving playwrights the opportunity to work on productions of their short plays and to give promising and established directors the opportunity to work on new plays in a manageable format."\nFor those who have never visited the BPP, now located in a converted storefront on 312 S. Washington St., it's a bit of a surprise to walk through the front lobby into the small theater in the back. The small stage and floor area is surrounded by about 50 seats, so no one is more than a few feet from the action.\nThe material proves as quirky as the setting. The seven plays were written by both local and out-of-town playwrights, and run the gamut from the strictly fanciful to more serious fare. "Good Girl" is a disturbing solo piece about a little girl's troubled family life told from the viewpoint of her favorite doll, played by Kelly Ann Ford. "The Burial" strikes a poignant chord as two sisters (Amanda Scherle and S. Beth May) lay their dog to rest, and "Malibu Cars Look Like They Can Float" is a rambling but strangely compelling (and often very funny) piece about a torrid love affair between an underachieving McDonald's manager (Brent Burcroff) and his troubled 15-year-old employee (Lesley Dial). The high point is undeniably "The Perfect Moment," by local playwright CA Trueblood. In the piece, a man tries to propose to his girlfriend, but is constantly thwarted by conditions beyond his control. It's a hilarious spoof of the emotional give and take required of romantic relationships.\nThe BPP is yet another unique resource fans of the arts in Bloomington have to see performances they might not see anywhere else in the Midwest. The festival continues with performances at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.