Romantic comedy with a touch of sci-fi: 'She Always Sneezed Twice' at Surfside
Part of the legacy of the late Arlan Ropp, who spent his life promoting local performing arts, is the Arlan Ropp Playwright Competition, hosted annually at Surfside Playhouse.
“The competition is one of three pillars devoted to original works here at Surfside Playhouse,” said artistic director Bryan Bergeron.
“Included with our original scripted murder mystery comedies and our crowd-pleasing 'Fractured' series, Surfside offers three mainstage original works each season. We pride ourselves as the only theater in Brevard with such devotion to original programming.”
The competition provides an opportunity for local playwrights to showcase their work onstage. This year’s winner, FLORIDA TODAY opinions and engagement editor John Torres, knew Ropp personally and emceed the unveiling of the competition that honors his contributions to theater. Both Torres and Ropp were part of Surfside's 2020 production of “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
“We enjoyed some great conversations in the green room awaiting our cues to go on stage,” Torres said.
Torres’ winning two-act play, “She Always Sneezed Twice,” opens at Surfside Aug. 4 with a run that ends Aug. 13. He describes his play as “a sweet romantic comedy with just a touch of sci-fi or time travel.”
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“I’ve always been very interested in the theme of time travel, especially when it had to do with going back and seeking redemption,” said Torres, a fan of fantasy films such as “About Time” and “Vanilla Sky.”
Set in the Bronx of 1992, the plot revolves around construction worker Noah who, grieving over the loss of his fiancé five years earlier, believes time travel could help reshape his future. At Stan’s Coffee House, he joins a cast of characters who are about to discover that revisiting the past may be more than just the whisper of a dream.
Show director Nancy Matican-Bock adds that the unique play poses mystifying questions about life’s journey.
“If we were given the opportunity go back in time to right a wrong, would we, or would we stay in the present and see where life takes us?” she said.
“Basically, it's the 'then or now?' premise.”
This is the second go-round for Matican-Bock as director of the Arlan Ropp Playwright Competition winner. Two years ago, she directed Clark Semmes’ “Waffle Hut.”
If you go
'She Always Sneezed Twice'
Where: Surfside Playhouse, 301 Ramp Road, Cocoa Beach
When: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Aug. 13
Tickets: $20
Info: 321-783-3127
On the web: surfsideplayhouse.com
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Surfside Playhouse honors Arlan Ropp's legacy with award-winning play
