Found Object Creative to Take Qualia to Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Though it may be eight months away, months of planning by Found Object Creative have already gone into taking award-winning play, Qualia, and its stars (Megan Borkes, Jason Blackwater), writer (Ashleigh A Gardner) and director (Clare Lopez), to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August. Marketing started last August, applications were sent in December, and on January 26th through 28th they will be having their first preview at Orlando Family Stage’s black box space (Green Venue) following a fundraiser at The Hammered Lamb on January 12th, where the popular venue on N. Orange Avenue will be donating 10% of the night’s proceeds to the company and will be raffling several items including a signed Orlando City jersey and artwork donated by local digital artists.

Orlando-based, English actor, Jason Blackwater is no stranger to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe having been involved, in a performing or producing capacity, every year from 2007 to 2013, and he hopes Qualia will surpass the successes of his previous Edinburgh projects

“I’ve been very lucky to have the biggest arts festival, and most famous trade show for theatre, in the world, on my doorstep, relatively speaking, for so much of my early career. Through the years at Edinburgh, I received the best crash course imaginable in marketing, producing, performing, directing, technical directing, cutting out thin pieces of paper and stapling them onto other pieces of paper…you name it, you need to know how to do it if you want to sell out shows there. It’s a pure, concentrated meritocracy and Qualia has all the elements you need, and more, to be a hit over there. Ashleigh is such an incredible writer and the play’s themes are prescient to what we’re going through today. I just really believe it can capture an audience in a really unique way”

Following intense heatwaves, causing nationwide reactor explosions, Qualia introduces us to  Alex (Borkes) who has been alone for 5 years in her underground, computer technology laboratory with only fully-sentient computer system, Dom (Blackwater), for company. When old acquaintance, and biological researcher, Seth finds them, Alex is presented with a choice; To leave and rejoin human society, or stay with Dom and face an uncertain future.

Qualia debuted during NewGen Theatrical’s 2019 Be Original Theater Festival, securing Gardner its top grant of $5000 for winning the Best Play category. Since then it has received a virtual playreading through the Sharon Studio in The Villages but this will be its first fully-staged, professional run.

“Edinburgh Fringe is a marathon. At Orlando you may do five, six shows, over two weeks…but there it’s 24 performances over 25 days, competing with hundreds of shows in your time slot, handing out thousands of flyers. And the hills! Edinburgh is the only place I’ve ever been where you can leave where you’re staying, go uphill to where you want to go, and still have to go uphill again to go home!”

​The Hammered Lamb (1235 N. Orange Ave) will host Qualia’s main fundraiser on January 12th before their only Orlando previews on the 26th, 27th of January at 7:30pm and the 28th of January at 2pm at Orlando Family Stage (1001 E.Princeton St). Tickets can be found at www.foundobjectcreative.com and www.qualiaplay.com