About the Show

Ensemble Studio Theatre presents Series B of its 36th annual one-act play marathon, featuring 15 plays presented in three separate lineups. See Series A and Series C.

'Disney and Fujikawa' by Lloyd Suh, directed by Linsay Firman: A 1942 meeting of two very different cartoonists, Gyo Fujikawa and Walt Disney. An uncomfortable conversation about power, personal responsibility, and the art of animation at a time of great uncertainty and national crisis.

Julia Specht's 'Down Cleghorn,' directed by Ralph Peña: A love letter to central Massachusetts, and a reflection on motherhood, food, and self-centeredness.

'Linus and Murray' by Leah Nanako Winkler, directed by RJ Tolan: Linus is a cat, Murray is dog. But that doesn't even begin to describe their differences.

'On the Outs' by Christina Gorman, directed by David Auburn: Becoming reacquainted ain’t easy for these two long-ago lovers as they grapple with conflicting definitions of what constitutes “home.”

'Falling Away' by Christopher Shinn, directed by Mark Armstrong: A woman and a man discuss their lives. As they talk, the nature of their relationship—and the agonizing question between them—is finally confronted.

Critic Reviews (3)

“The best of this bunch? Leah Nanako Winkler’s ‘Linus and Murray’…RJ Tolan directed these two perfectly cast actors with exquisite feeling and high-precision humor. The ending is devastating…Jeff Biehl and Tiffany Villarin are both excellent in ‘Disney & Fujikawa’…’Down Cleghorn’…The drama, directed by Ralph Peña, feels a bit unfinished and seems mostly a condemnation of the mother’s sexual activity.”
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"'Down Cleghorn:' The writing is tense, but it doesn’t quite find equivalent emotion in the performances...'Falling Away:' While the writing is taut, the emotional nuances of the text might have been brought forth more effectively by older, more mature actors...'Linus and Murray:' By the middle of the play the dialogue ends up being a touch repetitive...But the performances merit praise...This comedy unexpectedly becomes very poignant...Equally satisfying was 'Disney and Fujikawa.'"
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“A miraculous event in theater occurred when I attended the Ensemble Studio Theatre's presentation of their '36th Marathon of One-Act Plays Series B:' Each and every one of the five plays presented was outstanding…As if the entertainment value and compelling written word wasn’t enough to keep me satisfied, each play was beautifully staged and delivered by talented and skilled actors, most of them deserving and worthy of a much higher profile stage.”
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