Best of Br!efs
BEST OF BR!NK BR!EFS
June 4 – 20
Always an audience favorite at our annual Br!NK New Play Festival, the Br!NK Br!efs are ten-minute, fully-staged plays written by women playwrights from the Midwest, in response to intriguing prompts. We have carefully chosen five of the best Br!efs from the last three seasons to create a thoroughly enjoyable evening. This collection contains heroic canines, justified vengeance, flying pigs, secrets suddenly revealed, and an IT showdown between Alexa and Siri. Enjoy these emerging, powerful voices, right from our own backyard!
Run time: 75 minutes. No intermission.
WARNING: The Best of Br!NK Br!efs contain brief descriptions of sexual assault, and references to gun violence and PTSD.
Cast
Libby Amato
Cereyna Bougouneau
Adam Qutaishat
Ashley Rodriguez
Playing different characters.
Artistic Team
Mallory Metoxen
Director
Elliott Puckette
Director
Jazmin Medina
Costume Designer
Sarah Hamilton
Lighting Designer
Jordan Stanek
Props Master
Neil Brookshire
Sound Designer
Tony Lyons
Technical Director / Scenic Designer
Sam Feiler
Stage Manager
Megan Harris
Assistant Stage Manager
Collection
SMART GIRLS
By Amanda Schumacher | Directed by Elliott Puckette
They're always there when we need them. They're always willing to listen, and ready to answer life's greatest questions. They aim to please however they can — never asking for anything in return. It's as if they love us unconditionally. Or do they? What do Siri, Alexa, and Cortana really think about their human counterparts in this artificially intelligent comedy?
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
By Emily Elliott | Directed by Elliott Puckette
Jamie and Miranda live with their roommate Tom and, sometimes, they really drive him crazy. One night, after too many drinks, the roommates reveal their secrets. “A guilty conscience is a hair in the mouth.” —Mark Twain
DOG HEROES
By Lillian Schley | Directed by Mallory Metoxen
When a fame-hungry dog tries to relive her fifteen minutes as an internet hero, her best friend must come to the rescue — even though she’d much rather just play with a chew toy.
BODIES
By Rachel Bykowski | Directed by Mallory Metoxen
Sergeant W. is one of the few, the proud...a real Marine. She's trained, she's disciplined, but now she is home and the fighting still continues. An assault rifle has found her way back into Sergeant W.'s life and longs for W. to hold her again.
JUNIPER FLIES
By Maria Pretzl | Directed by Mallory Metoxen
Upon seeing a rare yellow cardinal, Juniper, an imaginative young pig, decides to attempt something that no pig has ever done before… flying! Perseverance is stubbornness with a purpose.
• SHOW SPONSOR •
J. Michael Reavis
Photo Gallery
Photos by Ross Zentner
PRESS
Reviews
Journal Sentinel
By Jim Higgins
Renaissance Theaterworks' short-play program finds comic gold in Siri on the job, dog heroes. KEEP READING.
Shepherd Express
By Harry Cherkinian
The 68-minute production (no intermission) showcases the work of women playwrights from the Midwest and features a tightly knit quartet of actors whose consistency and fluidity with these shorts enhances and elevates the material. KEEP READING.
TotalTheater.com
By Anne Siegel
The actors perform admirably in their diverse roles. Part of the fun of a festival such as this as one is able to see an actor inhabit vastly different characters. KEEP READING.
Urban Milwaukee
By Dominique Noth
Most admirable is “Bodies” by Rachel Bykowski – an inventive conversation between a semi-automatic rifle and the female Marine who once used the weapon in battle and is contemplating using it again (suggesting domestic abuse). KEEP READING.
Preview Articles
The plays selected for this run are five of the best selected from the last three years of Renaissance Theaterworks’ Annual Br!NK New Play Development Festival. KEEP READING.
COVID-19 Safety Protocols at the Theater
What to expect at the theater and what we expect from you when you visit.
Read before you purchase
To give us enough time to plan for covid safety, tickets for your selected performance will stop selling 24 hours before the start of the performance.
Note: You will not be able to choose your seats but with Best Available seating we will assign seats to ensure that social distancing measures will be in place. You will receive your seat assignments when you arrive at the theater. Please remember to inform the Box Office about your accessibility needs.
For those of you who don’t feel comfortable attending the theater at this point, we will offer a virtual option, streaming June 11 through June 30.
Subscribers: This production is included in your subscription package so you don't need to purchase a ticket. Please call our new Box Office, 414-278-0765 to get your tickets.
Run time: 75 minutes. No intermission.