It doesn't happen often, but this week, you can go to Actors Theatre [4] for what it would cost to watch reruns of Law and Order in your living room.
The Tens [5] is, confusingly enough, a series of eight (not ten) short plays selected from Actors Theatre’s national playwriting contest. They run ten minutes each. Hence the title.
These new scripts were plucked from across the country and are performed by this year’s competent and talented Acting Apprentice Company. Many of the off-stage roles (directors, designers, etc.) are also interns of the company.
The eight fully-produced plays cover a wide spectrum of topics, from Cro-Magnon men to elves and warriors. Comprising the lineup:
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Advanced by M. Thomas Cooper
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Opal by Lloyd Suh
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The Dungeons and the Dragons by Kyle John Schmidt
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That Noise by Dominic Finocchiaro
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Hero Dad by Laura Jacqmin
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The Ballad of 423 and 424 by Nicholas C. Pappas
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Basement Story by Austin Bunn
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DressUp by Jane Jones
Performances of The Tens are Tuesday, January 10 through Thursday, January 12 at 10 pm, Thursday, January 12 at noon, and Friday, January 13 at 10:30pm.
The late night performances have been scheduled both to continue the title's theme, and to accommodate those attending or running Actors’ concurrent production, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity [6].
Tickets to The Tens are free, but can be reserved in advance by calling the Actors Theatre box office at 502-587-1205.
Image: Courtesy Actors Theatre