Starlite Players shines spotlight on local playwrights

Since opening The Starlite Room last year, owner Tyler Yurckonis has carved out a niche for his swanky lounge and restaurant. Not only is it a place to grab a classic cocktail, it's also quickly becoming a hangout for performing arts enthusiasts and a hub for entertainment.

Regularly hosting lounge piano players, magicians, blues jams and other performers, Yurckonis says, is his way of offering customers something unique.

Starting tomorrow, he'll add a new act to the lineup: The Starlite Players, a newly formed performing arts troupe, which will produce a monthly collection of comedy shorts in the Starlite Room's 58-seat upstairs space.

The troupe is a team of local playwrights, directors, tech crew members and actors hand picked by producer and playwright Jo Morello, who hopes to create a unique experience with talent from the local area.

"We want to provide a showcase for the talent we have here," she says. "There really isn't anything like this in town. These are 10-minute plays — they're short, easily digestible and performed in a casual atmosphere. People can get a drink at the bar between plays and stick around afterward to chat with the actors. We want to create a community."

The troupe will make its debut at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow with its first collection of shorts, titled "The Customer is Always Right," featuring “A Line of Malarkey,” by Larry Parr, “Customer Service,” and "No Sugar," by Phil Hall, “Penitents,” by Jack Gilhooly and “Thanks for the Memories,” by Marvin Albert.

For $16.50, guests can enjoy each of the shorts, mingle with the actors and crew and receive 15% off a pre or post-show dinner at the restaurant downstairs.

With opening night already close to sold out, Morello says she's happy to see the demand.

"I've been producing plays for years," she says. "Normally, this close to opening, things are really tense, but at rehearsals, you can see how much fun everyone is having and how loose they are. The fun isn't just for the audience; it's for all of us."

IF YOU GO:

+ The Customer is Always Right — takes place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 15  through Saturday, July 18, at the Starlite Room, 1001 Cocoanut Ave. $16.50.