Dec. 10, 2011: We’ve rescheduled our December show for February 12. We canceled the Dec. 4 performance due to concerns about winter weather, so “Inspiration Strikes” will take place in February at the Vintage! It’s a collection of short plays from the Playwrights Showcase of the Western Region, mainly from its Playwrights Boot Camp. In the Playwrights Boot Camp, the participants are given a theme and then must write a short play based on that theme in a very limited time (a couple of days). The best are then given an evening showcase reading…and now we’ve picked out 5 of the best. The themes of the years we’re covering were “Et Tu Brute” and “Make My Day.” We also tossed in 2 great short plays that were featured in the overall showcase. Here are the plays we’ll be presenting in our February 2012 program:

· In Melissa Leo McCarl’s “Carlene Yakkin,’” an aging honky-tonk angel shares her life in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. (Quote: “There she sits, lounging on the cool sticky Naugahyde, nursing a drink and a sorrow. Through half-closed lids she surveys the scene, but it is doubtful that she sees much.”)

· In “Homing” by Catherine Wiley, a man returns to his boyhood home with the help of an uncooperative GPS system. (Quote: “What do you mean 'lost'? Moving doesn’t mean you’re lost. Everybody moves.”)

· In “The Betrayer’s Defense” by Rebecca Gorman O’Neill, two men facing an unknown fate debate the nature of betrayal in both ancient times and professional sports. (Quote: “When you start talking about who deserves what, you’re asking for trouble.”)

· In “Eastwould?” by Jean Egdorf, a marriage proposal goes bad due to the love of an iconic movie star. (Quote: “Seven posters in that room and they’re all the same face!”)

· In “Demons Lurking” by Paul Liebler, two American soldiers in Iraq resume an ages-old conflict. (Quote: “Ever take a close look at a question mark? It looks a lot like a figure standing backwards, bent over, looking down . . . looking for forgiveness.”)

· In Brenda Hoskins’ “A Simple Contract,” an unusual agreement is reached between two men about a special woman. (Quote: “Tomorrow. Sunset. It sets up such a meaningful metaphor for a disappearing act, don’t you think?”)

· In “Award-Winning Entry” by Jeffrey Neuman, an ambitious playwright submits an ambitious play to a 10-minute play competition. (Quote: “Lights up to reveal two people….The man is exceptionally, breathtakingly, earth-shatteringly handsome. The woman…has shoulder-length hair.”