About
the Plays:
This is volume 5 of the best-selling Ten-Minute Plays anthology
series from the prominent Actors Theatre of Louisville (ATL), which has championed the short
play with its National Ten Minute Play Contest over the years; winning
plays have often been included in ATL's annual Festival of New American Plays, an influential showplace for playwrights. Ten-Minute Plays: Volume
5 contains contemporary plays by some of the world's most
important writers. All are perfect for classes and showcases where
actors and directors show their stuff without expending the time or
money to mount a full-length play.
Ten-Minute Plays: Volume 5 contains:
• Acorn by David
Graziano. A clothesline, acorns, and laundry add up to a sweet
Brooklyn romance which begins and ends on either side of a backyard
clothesline. Won ATL's Heideman Award as part of the National 10-minute play contest. (1 female, 1 male)
• After by Carol
K. Mack. Trying to avoid her fiancé, Cindy, a journalist,
ventures into the outskirts of Disney world to find all of the
lovers, horses, and happily-ever-afters scattered about in a large
lot. With damage control in mind, Glynda, a fairy tour guide, hunts
Cindy down and explains to her that her own fairy tale is not
depicted by Disney or anyone else. (2 female)
• The Blue Room by
Courtney Baron. A sailor recalls the memory of his wife, a
woman now trapped in his memory. Won ATL's Heideman Award as part of the National 10-minute play contest. (1 female, 1 male)
• Damages to Tony by
Matthew Southworth, a comic artist and writer living in
Seattle who worked at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. (1 female, 1
male)
• Dancing with a Devil
by Brooke Berman. A harrowing memory of rape and its
aftermath. Won ATL's Heideman Award as part of the National 10-minute play contest. (2 female, 1 male)
• Drive Angry by Matt
Pelfrey. As a young patient battles cancer, he and his his
cynical friend administer their own brand of highway justice on their
toxic and infected society. Won ATL's Heideman Award as part of the National 10-minute play contest. (2 male)
• Forty Minute Finish
by Jerome Hairston. Two young grocery clerks are forced to
contemplate getting old and dying as they mop up after an elderly man
had a stroke in their market. Won ATL's Heideman Award as part of the National 10-minute play contest. (2 male)
• Intervention by
Anne Washburn. A group of friends gather to stage an
intervention for their pal, Laura. When she shows up late the group
has hours to run the scenario through their heads and come up with
the a dozen ways that they could run the intervention – using
everything from bodysnatchers to voodoo dolls. (3 female, 3 male)
• Just Be Frank by
Caroline Williams. An ambitious and arrogant female
professional navigates office politics in the hopes of obtaining a
job promotion. Won ATL's Heideman Award as part of the National 10-minute play contest. (4 female, 1 male)
• Labor Day by Sheri
Wilner. On the eve of Labor Day, a "Last-Day-to-Wear-White"
party sets the scene for one woman's stand against the march of time.
Won ATL's Heideman Award as part of the National 10-minute play contest. (3 female, 3 male)
• Lawyers, Guns and
Money by Thad Davis. Three friends discuss whether
or not to begin selling guns, while two of them are for strict gun
control. (1 female, 2 male)
• Let the Big Dog Eat
by Elizabeth Wong. When four famous captains of industry meet
to play a friendly game of golf, their competitive banter evolves
into a debate weighing the pleasure of sheer accumulation against the
scramble to spend on the public good. Exploring the game of giving,
this bouncy comedy offers a highly imaginative look at the
image-driven rivalries of the ultra-rich. (4 male)
• Lonely by Ann
Marie Healy. A husband and wife try to explain to her unwed
sister how to overcome her loneliness. (2 female, 1 male)
• Lunchtime by Rob
W. Marcato. A tense encounter in a public eating area looks at
strangers and loyalty. (2 female, 1 male)
• Meow by Val
Smith. It's happy hour and, for two professional women, it's time
to dish a little after work. Amidst friendly wisecracks, fried
wontons, and foibles of a scatterbrained waitress, these long-time
friends discover some disquieting truth in cattiness – and the
cattiness of truth. (3 female)
• Mpls, St. Paul by
Julia Jordan. In this spirited teenage romance, Billy and Mel
use their favourite music to test the waters of friendship. An
element of uncertainty taints this steamy summer interlude. Won ATL's Heideman Award as part of the National 10-minute play contest. (1 female,
1 male)
• Precipice by
William Mastrosimone. A couple takes a day hike up Mount
Rainier for their first date, and face being lost on the mountain. When a storm threatens their trip
they must decide whether or not to risk jumping off a cliff to get
home. But dense fog prevents them from seeing what lies beyond the
edge. Will they have the courage to take the leap? (1 female, 1 male)
• The Price by Shem
Bitterman. A comedic drama about a first date. (1 female, 1 male)
• Processional by
Jennifer McMaster and
Robert Kremnitz. The bride, the groom, the attendants,
the pastor: the typical wedding rehearsal? Not even close! (2 women,
3 men)
• Roadtrip by
Victoria Norman Brown. A drama about a couple about to meet
his parent's for Thanksgiving. (1 female, 1 male)
• Seeing the Light
by Robert McKay. Ned, Marshall, and Casey, three
co-workers, debate whether or not to notify authorities that the "red
light" has turned on. A comedic take on responsibility vs.
inconvenience. (3 male)
• Singleton, The Winner
by Thomas Babe. (3 male)
• Slop Culture by
Robb Badlam. Four young friends discuss the culture they've
grown up in i.e. television shows, McDonalds, etc., while one friend
tries to fill out a job application questions, "What's your
earliest, fondest childhood memory?" (2 female, 2 male)
Tattoo by Jane
Martin. With the help of a private detective, three women
discover they share one thing in common: their boyfriend. Seeking
revenge, they offer their man an ultimatum. Send a description of his
amorous activities to his coworkers or tattoo the tale to his behind.
Which will he choose? (3 female, 2 male)
• What Are You Afraid Of?
by Richard Dresser. Staged with the audience members in the
back seat of a car to watch the action unfold between a young male
driver and a female hitchhiker in the front seats. (1 female, 1 male)