What happens when women come together to collaborate, not compete? Find out in this electrifying theater experience where creativity flows freely, boundaries are pushed, and the power of collaboration takes center stage.

First introduced at the Powerstories Shevolution Festival in 2018, the final product written by the women of the ThinkFast Experiment was a drama exploring the emotional depths of a suicide prevention group that learns their lead counselor took his life rather than face untreatable cancer. Now, the ThinkFast Experiment 2.0 returns, daring seven women writers of varied skill levels to craft a new short play, embracing the randomly selected comedy theme – in only seven hours.

On February 22, 2025, seven talented women created a brand-new short play in five hours and 17 minutes—using eight required elements in the script – selected by Google Randomizer:

Favorite Theme: Comedy: The humorous aspects of human nature and everyday life
An Opening Remark: They began on a journey with more loops than the fruit in a cereal bowl.
Favorite Saying: No talkie before coffee
A situation that we can put actors in that can be resolved in 5 pages or less: A love triangle
Favorite Vacation Spot: A Cruise
A prop easily obtainable: Banana
Time Period/Setting: Present
A closing remark for the play: Turns out, the best things are the ones you never see coming.

SUMMARY:
A diva, her drained husband, and a sharp-tongued barista collide on a luxury cruise, brewing a storm of sass, scandal, and scheming. When an over-the-top coffee order unravels into deception and desperation, the real “top banana” might just steal the show.

PLAYWRIGHTS & CREATIVE TEAM

CAST TO BE ANNOUNCED

Alyssa Cabrera

Alyssa is a Cuban-American journalist who wants to reach different people with her stories. She wants to inspire and evoke emotion from her audience and she is so excited to write for the ThinkFast Experiment!

Leslie Farrell

Throughout her career, Leslie Farrell has served as a reporter, editor and freelance writer. Early on, she worked as a reporter for the Indianapolis “Soul Station” WTLC-FM News in Indianapolis, IN, covering sports such as the Pan American Games, and local news, including protests. Next she wrote for the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico’s largest newspaper, and served as news editor for The Daily Lobo newspaper. Today, her primary business is media relations, but she is an award-winning writer and continues to write for The American Baha’i Magazine and other publications on occasion.

Dorelle Rafael Fishkin

First time writer.

Crystal Marie (Valdez)

Crystal has been deeply involved in the Tampa theatre scene both onstage and behind the scenes for many years. She is thrilled to be making her writing debut and is excited to be a part of this project.

Katie Porter

Katie Porter (used to be Welch) is trilled to be a part of this show. Katie was recently married to her amazing husband Brian. She has been in theatre since she was 9 years old. Some of her favorite shows she was in were Singing in the Rain, The Producers, Beauty and the Beast, Annie, Secret Garden, It’s a Wonderful Life, Through the Shop Window, Wizard of OZ, Sister Act and Peter Pan, just to name a few. Katie was the mentor of Belle in the Penguin Project’s Beauty and The Beast. She is the Founder and Director of the community theatre group Broadway Everyday Star Theater. She wrote the plays A Talent for Murder, Broadway Musical Review and Blind Date Cafe. She even wrote a novel that she is currently looking for a publisher. She has her BA in Theater and Masters in ESE Education. She is the PreK teacher at Ruskin Elementary. She also does videography and has been in several films like the horror film Harlow’s Haunt.

Victoria Sewell

Victoria Jon Sewell, born in Charleston, WV, attended West Virginia State University and Marshall University, where she majored in Fine Arts. She authored and co-illustrated a bilingual book titled “An Sun Hee’s Adventures Under the Land of Morning Calm” in 1984, which was published for use in South Korean universities. Besides educational and technical papers, she has written poetry and short stories. In 1992, she acted in the stage production of Beetlejuice in Charleston, playing the role of Delia Deetz. In 2021, she collaborated with the founder of Speak Easy Method of Writing. She is a member of the Lewis Carroll Society and has co-edited her husband’s books for forty years. Victoria is also a member of Word Weavers, Tampa, FL.

Deborah Bostock-Kelley – Producer/Playwright

Deborah Bostock-Kelley is a multi-time, award-winning playwright, also a director, producer, and actor, nominated for Creative Loafing 2024 Best of the Bay “Best Playwright,” and a finalist for Creative Loafing 2023 Best of the Bay “Best Playwright.” Her work has appeared across stages in Tampa Bay, competing in the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival every year, excluding the pandemic. Her one-acts have also been performed at Carrollwood Players One Act Weekend, 4×6 Festival, Powerstories SheVolution Festival, Powerstories’ Voices of Truth and Voices of Women Theatre Festivals, Tarpon Arts, and most recently, The Tampa International Fringe Festival. A recipient of the Gobioff Foundation Grant, Tampa Bay Theatre Festival Denise Deneen Award, and Theatre Tampa Bay Jeff Norton Dream Grant, she’s renowned for her socially impactful one-acts and full-length plays across Tampa Bay’s stages. Her self-produced debut 2023 playwright showcase, “Tapestry: A Weekend of Socially-Conscious Storytelling,” sold out and was nominated for multiple recognitions. She won First Runner-Up in the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival Short Dramatic Play awards for “Under Construction.” She’s excited for you to see what came from outstanding playwrights of all skill levels and experience.