Buffalo Theater: Unique offers a new play based on Everett children’s book

(Buffalo Hive Preview Capsules are an opportunity for theater companies to introduce their plays to their potential audience in their own words)

• Name of Play: Olivia The Bully
  
• Location: Compass Performing Arts Center 545 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo
  
• Dates and times: Thursday and Friday, Nov. 12 and 13, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 14, 1 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, Nov. 19 and 20, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
  
  Playwright: Engelic Everett
  
• Director: Robert Insana
  
• Co-director:  Christopher Devealt
  
• Lead actors: Myla Lorenzo who plays Olivia the Bully, is a senior at the Buffalo Culinary School. This is her first time acting with Unique Theatre. Holding the lead as Olivia in the two-book series was a big undertaking for her.
  
• Other actors: We have a cast of 13 people, many of whom may be living with a disability. We are so incredibly proud of their work, their dedication and courage to be on stage with our company. Each and every one of them has worked doubly hard to give their best performance. The rest of the cast includes Nathaniel Wilkens, Madisyn Ross, Mackenzie Koch, Erica Bistoff, Carolyn Willert, Jacob Siracuse, Chris Samek, Keller Vogelsang, Ava Ferrentino, Jon Mercado, Jacob Campbell, Chris Devealt.
  
• Production Credits: This year we were lucky to have two volunteers who helped manage our back stage: Kit Moorehouse and Lana Joaquin both are masters of everything theatre! Lana designed the set and Kit was the assistant to whomever needed help.
  
  For the past eight years we have depended heavily on ART/WNY to provide not just working theatre space but also technical services for lighting and sound. The company gets credit for that every year, and this year is no different.
  
• What makes this play special and why did you decide to do it? This play is special because the writer, Engelic Everett, is a long time friend to our theatre. She wrote a play that Unique Theatre put on stage in 2016 titled “Respect.” With that success she went on to author and publish two children’s books featuring a bunny rabbit named Olivia, who happens to be a bully but through friendship learns to mend her ways.
  
  We also thought that since it focused on bullying and talking about subjects such as being kind and appreciating your friends; it was needed in our times!
  
• What sets this production of the play apart from others that have been done? This is our first play that is based on a book, a book that was written by a person with a disability.
  
• This play is also our first children’s play (for adults as well) so we kept it a bit shorter and had a lot of fun with wearing animal ears and some tails!
  
• Show website: www.uniquetheatre.org