STEVE DUNKELBERGER: THEATER ADDICTS MOURN >>>

The Festival of Northwest Plays ends its run this weekend with shows Saturday and Sunday at Tacoma's Theatre on the Square. Attendance has been good although the wide-open swaths of seat in the large theater made the festival look more empty than it really was.

But I love the space. A festival of this quality and heart wouldn't work on a small stage.

I was talking to Dennis Flayner after the show yesterday. He drove all the way down from Kent to check out the talent. He is new to Washington and is scoping out the talent in the Puget Sound in hopes of finding his way into the theater scene. He liked what he saw.

"I'm really blown away to be honest with you," he said. "I saw the short works too, and I have to tell you, some of them were really clever."
Agreed.

Saturday's double-feature line up, which starts at 4:30 p.m., includes: "Fish Play," "We Remember Breakfast," "Poor Shem," "Europa & Bull," "Hamlet, Prince of Denny’s," "Memorable Moments with Strangers," "The Man Who Fell off His Bicycle," "Kuwait," "The Soft Sand," "Snippy," "Ravishment," "Mammals and "Chat Room."

The night-time line up will be "Geography Club" and start at 8 p.m.

Sunday's double-feature line up includes:   the hometown favorite and undisputed show stopper "New Orleans Monologues," at 2:30 p.m. then the cleaver buddy show "In the Sawtooths," at 7:30 p.m.

All performances at Theater on the Square, 915 Broadway, near the corner of Broadway and 9th in downtown Tacoma. Tickets available at the door or at www.ticketwindowonline.com. Visit www.northwestplaywrights.org for more information.