Stage One Festival brings new Canadian theatre to life at Devonian Gardens

How often do you stumble across a bunch of theatre professionals doing a reading in Devonian Gardens? Well, in May and June, it happens about once a week.

Lunchbox Theatre’s Stage One Festival of New Canadian Work is back, offering free, public readings of dynamic new plays in downtown Calgary. The festival’s final reading takes place on Friday, June 20.

It all began 38 years ago when Lunchbox Theatre, celebrating its 50th season dedicated to one-act plays, realized it was running low on fresh material. Artistic Director Bronwyn Steinberg explains the pivot was natural: “They realized, hey, there’s not enough that we love, and so they created an opportunity for playwrights and local artists to work on new plays at Lunchbox with the hope that they’ll eventually get produced.”

Since then, Stage One has become a farm-team playground for Canadian theatre creation, nurturing about 300 plays and launching over 100 into full-scale productions. The very act of lifting words off the page is integral to the creative process.

“Playwrights have told me that there’s basically nothing like it. No matter how much you read it out loud, no matter what you do, you need other people in the room,” Steinberg says. “Theatre is something that doesn’t really happen alone.”

Hosting the readings at Devonian Gardens is a nostalgic nod to Lunchbox Theatre’s roots. Steinberg adds, “We’re really excited to animate public space this way… It kind of feels like we’re going back to our roots because for many years Lunchbox was in the food court at Bow Valley Square.”

On June 20, audiences can witness two captivating new plays in their earliest stages:

Rupert’s Land by James Hart (3 p.m. MT) follows Rupert, overwhelmed and escaping life’s pressures in the South Pacific, only to discover isolation isn’t as tranquil as expected. Directed by Steven Conde, this play delves thoughtfully into unexpected conversations with nature and self-reflection.

The Last 1.5 Librarians North of Lethbridge by Anna Leslie (4:30 p.m. MT) presents Jean, a grumpy former librarian surviving a climate-ravaged world, and Frankie, passionate about saving knowledge. Their unlikely friendship creates the first post-apocalyptic library, humorously and poignantly exploring resilience and friendship under dire circumstances; it’s directed by Bronwyn Steinberg.

Catch these fresh theatrical experiences at Devonian Gardens, The Core Mall (324 8 Ave SW). All Stage One Festival readings are free to attend. Find out more at Lunchbox Theatre’s website.