Lab Theater Project To Host Annual Comedic Shorts Festival

TAMPA, FL — LAB Theater Project will present its annual fundraising event, LAB Laughs 2023, with six original, never-performed comedic shorts, running Jan. 19 to 22 at the theater at 812 E Henderson Avenue in Ybor City.

Each year, LAB Theater Project puts out a call for short comedic plays for its annual LAB Laughs fundraising event. The call in 2022 attracted 139 submissions from all over the world, which LAB staff pared down to nine scripts.

The nine scripts feature three Florida playwrights, four from other parts of the U.S., and one each from Australia and New Zealand.

Additionally, LAB is bringing back six shorts that were canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two directors, Caroline Jett and Owen Robertson, will direct the six plays with seven actors: Ricardo Fernandez, Zack Finley, John Hooper, Taylor Hendershot, Rachel Stidham, Chloe Baker and Maurice Parker.

“Laughter is truly the best medicine in these times,” said Robertson, executive producer and founder of LAB. “These plays are sure to make you laugh.”

Through the six comedic works, audiences will see two tortoises bragging about their romantic skills, high school sweethearts wrestling with the implications that their parents are also dating, a Florida man attempting to follow directions, three unlikely people stuck together during a downpour, a superman finally seeking therapy, and two young women evaluating if they did or did not "off" the lady across the street.

LAB Laughs 2023 is rated PG for parental guidance recommended. There is some adult language that may not be appropriate for all ages.

Performance times are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinee at 3 p.m.

Tickets are $31 and are available online through LAB’s website. Tickets may also be purchased at the door of each performance for $32.

LAB Theater Project is a nonprofit production company that produces new works in the Tampa Bay community with a focus on developing new works and training new theater artists.