NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS NEWS

Sundown Collaborative Theatre's A SMASHED MASH UP features a variety of short acts ranging from the scripted and linear to the devised and absurd. This year’s festival dives into the chaos of contemporary life and explores how we react when forced to confront unexpected and unpredictable situations and people.

See below for a synopsis of each show!

“A Moment” by Tyler Cochran 
A person’s peaceful coffee break in the park is interrupted by a stranger who, grieving the loss of their beloved pet, is searching for distraction in the form of a game of Hide and Seek. Conflict and comedy ensues, and a secret is revealed.


“Batteries not Included” by Britnee Schoville 
Two strangers find themselves imprisoned in a strange room, with no idea of how they came to be there and no memory of their own lives or names. They search for a way out together, but escape is no easy feat.


“The End of the World isn’t So Bad” by Matthew Defoore
A young woman gets more than she bargained for when a Craigslist deal goes awry. That TV she wanted may already be gone, but now she’s being offered something better: a spaceship ride to another planet. After all, the world is ending in 8 minutes…or is it?


“Endlesly Rocking” by JP Schuffman
A father’s death sparks existential conversations, confessions of adultery, and shared attempts at expressing grief and loss. 


“The Microwave” by Gerald Fitzgerald 
A group of co-workers is amazed to discover that the break room microwave has manifested strange magical powers. Brought closer and closer together by this phenomenon, the group must decide what to do with their newfound burden of knowledge and power.


“Mutton to See Here” by Byron Harris 
The arrival of a new sheep creates waves of anxiety as a family comes to terms with the loss of a beloved pet.


“Pomeo and Plath” by Cody Lucas
Edgar Allan Poe and Sylvia Plath, young and star-crossed lovers, pine after one another in this dark, cross-over comedy. 


“Sanity in the Key of ‘C’” by Cody Lucas 
A man shares how he came to discover his passion, in a story of youth, honesty, and…something like love?


“Some Kind of Metaphor” by Franky D. Gonzalez
Two inmates pass the time with conversation about cockroaches, prison, God, and more. But complex literary devices can lead to troubling existential quandaries when applied to real life, and one inmate goes a little overboard. 


“Taking the Edge Off” by Iris Baldwin 
A couple finds themselves in an embarrassing predicament just before a much-anticipated pool party. Jane is appalled, Bill is amused, and tensions rise as they argue about how to keep their friends from noticing Bill’s not-so-ordinary “health issue”.


“The Sorting App” by C. Moon Reid 
A silly online quiz throws a couple’s relationship into crisis.


“Three Triple Six Four Oh Five Three” by Frankie D. Gonzalez 
A visit between an inmate and a young family member brings up painful truths, hard-earned wisdom, and a plea for change.