Nothing says Halloween like an eclectic medley of chilling ghost stories. This is Uwwfest, a collection of seven ten-minute plays all with a central theme: ghosts. This theme allowed for quite a bit of creativity and originality, with each play telling a completely different story. From a man besieged by spirits he killed in a grocery store to a daughter in love with the man her mother killed, the variety and the sheer creepiness are clear from play to play.
Uwwfest accomplishes an incredible amount in a very short time. The seven separate stories showcase quite a few talented up-and-coming actors and directors on the Chicago theater scene, and they utilize countless lighting and spacing techniques that keep each story as scary as the one before it. The actors put their heart and soul into each performance, capturing the audience with their portrayals of heartbreak, fear, and desolation. The directors accomplish the same goal, utilizing the small stage not only in a variety of ways, but also in extremely powerful ways.
The success of Uwwfest depends largely upon the different attempts made by each ten-minute production. To this writer, some of these productions fall flat, seeming to rely on dramatic repetition and exposition to tell the story. Others are truly bone-chillingly scary, like “Five,” and this writer hopes to see more stories like this one at next year’s Uwwfest.
SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED
Justice
Written by Tanzania Warren and Jasmine Martin
Directed by Davette J. Franklin
Rami Abushab
Danielle Fraser
Davette J. Franklin
Amariss Harris
Miles Weimer
The Greatest Orchestra in the World
Written by Aaron Adair
Directed by Davette J. Franklin
Takeisha Shanklin
Shawn Hunt
Andy Gans
Five
Written by Dakota Vasseen
Directed by Davette J. Franklin and Dakota Vasseen
Miles Weimer
Anah Ambuchi
Al Cain
Alison Kasbee
Dylan Walker
Kandice Robins
Loa Guys and Voodoo Dolls
Written by John Weagly
Directed by Davette J. Franklin
Tessa Marie Hoffman
Peter Vitale
Edwin Dupry
Written by Janet Ro
Directed by Janet Ro
Al Cain
Natascha Skye-Buschmann
Anna Ogden
Jordan Crites
Two Occasions
Written by Veronica Franklin
Directed by Davette J. Franklin
Allison Kasbee
Mary A. McCormack
Daniel Millhouse
Matthew Nielsen
Tessa Marie Hoffman
Untitled
Written by Lonnie McGuire
Directed by Davette J. Franklin
Melanie Deprest
Sarah Allyn Althen
Michael Nguyen
Andy Gans
Narrated by Chetwyn Rodgers
Uwwfest is an annual event. For more information visit the DavJasFran Entertainment Website.
Editor's Note: Click here to read more stories by Katherine Foley.
