About the Play:

10 Seconds is a one-act drama by Miriam Gonzales. Can 10 seconds change your life? In the thought-provoking play 10 Seconds, two young Black high school students tell the story of a police encounter they'll never forget. The play provides opportunities for reflection and discussion.

10 Seconds explores a world where deeply rooted biases and misperceptions easily take hold. In this play, we see how quick decisions made in just '10 seconds' can impact one's day, and even one's life. Life can often feel unnerving – a journey that can change for better or worse in the blink of an eye depending on how we see each other. In 10 Seconds, we see through the eyes of Ray and Jimi, high school students who navigate their young adult worlds and what it means to be young Black men in the city. Ray tells the story of a day – and "ten seconds" inside that day – that he and Jimi will never forget, sharing not only their perspectives, but also the views of the police they encounter.

10 Seconds premiered in 2021 at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC. Since then the play has been mounted by middle schools, high schools, colleges, and community theatres.

Cast: 1 female, 3 male

What people say:

"A vital way to keep up the pressure to demand changes to a broken system." — Broadway World

About the Playwright:

Miriam Gonzales is an award-winning American playwright who has been involved in theatre as a student, teacher, actor and writer. She is a graduate of Brown University and received her PhD in education and MA in sociology from Stanford University.