Why did the chicken cross the road? How strange can it get when two friends decide to debate pizza, philosophy and the nature of debate itself? When is a simple marketing flyer anything but a simple marketing flyer? What could possibly be the harm in a lovely cup of tea among friends? Would you hire an odd and overqualified applicant for a job in a burger joint? We're all locked down in our homes with our beloved families -- but, where do we go when we need to get away from our beloved families? All of these intriguing questions will be given very entertaining answers in The Garfield Center for the Arts’ upcoming Short Attention Span Theatre 2020 Online starting September 18th.

A long tradition that has its earliest roots in 2005, when it was called "8x10 - The 10-Minute Play Project," Short Attention Span Theatre (as it came to be known starting in 2008) has been a successful, yearly short play festival that has grown every year in attendance and popularity. 

In 2009, Live Playwrights’ Society was created as a local stage writers’ support group. Founded by current GCA President Mark Sullivan, current GCA Executive Director Steven Arnold and past GCA Executive Director Lucia Foster, local LPS playwrights were encouraged to write for and participate in SAST even as other local playwrights were already submitting material. In past years, SAST has featured new short plays by local writers Steven Arnold, Paul Briggs, Jen Friedman, Tia Glomb, Diane Landskroener, Earl Lewin, Brent Lewis, Howard Mesick, Rich Pauli, Robert Earl Price, Mark Sullivan, Keith Thompson, Rebecca Weiskind-Dey, and Mary Wood.

This year’s online SAST will mark the first time in which all of the plays will be from local writers. Those plays include A Room of My Own, by Elkton’s Michael Collins, two plays, Act Now! And Two Broody Hens, by Rich Pauli of Annapolis, Job Interview, by Dover’s Howard Mesick, The Tea Drinkers, by Worton’s Mark Sullivan, and Epistemology by Chestertown’s Steven Arnold.

A Room of My Own is directed by Jennifer Kafka Smith and features Kelly Young, Amada Fry and Lucia Foster. Act Now! Is directed by Zachary Ryan and features Dan Guidice and Hester Sachse. Two Broody Hens is directed by Jennifer Kafka Smith and features Jen Friedman, Melissa McGlynn and John Mann. Job Interview is directed by Nic Carter and features the father-daughter team of Brian and Shannon Whitaker. The Tea Drinkers is directed by Mark Sullivan and features Connie Fallon, Robbie Spray, and Francoise Sullivan.  Epistemology is directed by Steven Arnold and features Nic Carter and Dylan Lyles.

Viewers will be able to access the program, by way of an unlisted YouTube page, beginning at 7 PM on Friday, September 18. The program will remain viewable until Midnight on Sunday, September 27. Advance ticket buyers will receive a link for viewing via email on Friday, September 18. It will arrive no later than 6 PM that evening. The link can then be used by the purchaser during the 2 weekend run of the show and anytime in the week in between. Ticket buyers on or after the 18th will receive the link in their emailed receipt.

Tickets for Short Attention Span Theatre 2020 Online are now available at https://www.garfieldcenter.org/gcaevent/sast2020online/.

Questions should not be addressed to the Garfield Center’s Box Office, but instead emailed to sast@garfieldcenter.org.