Once again, Old Academy Players premiered its 2024 "Summer One Act Bonanza," an annual event featuring a collection of one-act plays meant to encourage those outside the theater world to debut as writers, actors and directors.

Each one-act plays for about 15 minutes. "Stealing a Kiss" by Texas-based playwright Laurie Allen kicks off the evening. Directed by Randy Shupp and Joan Shupp, the play is the story of two elderly citizens who meet at a SEPTA Bus Stop. Sue (Terri Bateman) does not talk to strangers, but garrulous Harvey (Douglas Tague) forces the conversation.

Both learn they are connected with the theater (playfully, Old Academy!). This charming vignette holds your attention. As rain begins to fall, they shelter together under the same umbrella with an amorous result. "Stealing" is the only offering that is unambiguously happy. 

Old Academy member Chris Schenk created the “Summer Bonanza" in 2009 and produced the first two seasons. Schenk died of cancer but the show carries on in his name. Old Academy has run the production every year since its inception except for the pandemic period.

The theater conducts a monthlong nationwide search for one-act plays - preferably unpublished. This year, organizers chose seven plays from 225 submissions. Sarah Labov and Nancy Frick produced the festival. Collectively, directors and producers settled on matters of set design, lights and sound. Fast-paced, the shows are executed in a twinkling, using just a few props to establish place and evoke a mood.

Philadelphia playwrights wrote two of the plays. In "Night of the Bat" by Christopher Tait, a surprise visitor in the attic ignites family turmoil. Mom (Nicole Gerenyi) is delighted but daughter Vicky (Isaura Sanguinetti) is indignant. Son Danny (Micah Wagman) torments their guest with a squirt gun while Dad (Steve Hnatko) is dotty and indifferent. Directed by Annie Hnatko, "Bat" comically lays bare the family's underlying disunity.

Rob Rosiello is a regular Old Academy participant. During the pandemic, he wrote and produced "The Broken Hollow Banshee" for radio, an homage to the "Golden Age" of radio suspense mystery. His theater version of "Hollow" premiered at Old Academy in 2023, starring Nyiema Lunsford in the lead role. Again, Rosiello casts Lunsford to portray an entertainer in his play "Sweet Smell of Regret," a bitter comic tale of unrequited love. Lunsford drew big applause with prima donna prancing that leads up to her confession of a gruesome secret. 

Norma Kider directs "The Kiss of Death'' by veteran California playwright William Brasse. A family mistakenly believes their son is dead. When mother (Helga Krauss) learns her son is alive she is delighted. But her daughter Vanessa (Victoria Glock-Molloy) is upset. If brother is alive, whose ashes in the funeral urn heard all her secrets? Joseph (Marc Johnson) introduces romance and a sci-fi twist. 

Sarah Labov directs "An Audience of One." Written by Brooklyn-based playwright Michael C. O’Day, the play centers around a newspaper vendor (Eric Rupp) who has been sidelined from life. Rupp's dour and nonplussed mien turns into a running joke as he watches the antics of curious folks who encircle his sidewalk newsstand: The Hero (Nolan Maher), The Maid (Lex Archer), The Customer (Marc Johnson) and The Jogger (LaPorscha Rodgers). 

Elliott Rotman directs "Miss Winnie" by Marla Porter, another Texas-based playwright. Miss Winnie (Susan Cantone) is an angel who teaches newcomer Antedia (Haley Dunning) the secrets of the angel trade. Drawing on an eternity of experience, Miss Winnie calms nervous Antedia with sage advice delivered with a Southern drawl and a supply of donuts. 

Kim Hess directs "Immersive Training" by Seattle-based playwright Miriam BC Tobin. Boss Cilia (Hannah Leifheit) dumps a new assignment on her program analyst, Baxter (Steve Hnatko). The luminous rear wall clock does not let you forget the "ticking clock" gambit. Jef (Micah Wagman) is a new employee whose airhead interruptions ratchet up the pressure.  

I have seen many Old Academy “Summer Bonanza” shows. Several of their one-act plays have stuck with me. Here, I found "Stealing A Kiss" the most memorable. Susan Cantone, Nyiema Lunsford and Victoria Glock-Molloy performed with impressive zest.   A couple of the one-acts had promising setups but overeager acting curbed the buildup of tragicomic tension. 

The “Summer One-Act Bonanza” series at Old Academy is a unique theatrical event. The secret of its strength is that it refuses to take itself too seriously. It is quirky and entertaining, showcasing short plays that may have been overlooked, frequently dramas with quaint metaphorical appeal. 

In this year's production, the huge cast welcomed several newcomers, but most have performed at Old Academy on many occasions, and with all those familiar faces, the Summer Bonanza always takes on the air of an end-of-season bash.

Old Academy Players is located at 3544 Indian Queen Lane. "Summer Bonanza'' will run through July 21. For tickets, 215-843-1109.