Theatre Oxford is again offering the community an engaging installment of fine arts entertainment with this year’s National Ten-Minute Play Festival, hosted at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center in Oxford. The festival runs Friday and Saturday, September 29–30, at 7:30 pm with a closing matinee at 2 pm on Sunday, October 1.
The festival offers a variety of styles during the production, with plays in the genres of comedy, drama, and heart-felt moments. The plays are chosen from entries to the Theatre Oxford National Ten-Minute Play Contest hosted at the beginning of each year. The festival has grown in size and content in its 15-plus years of operation. Entries are submitted from all over the United States and internationally to compete for cash prizes for the Grand Prize Winner and the Audience Award Winner. The winning playwrights receive a monetary award as well as the opportunity to have their play produced onstage during the fall festival. The festival, which was recently featured in The Dramatist magazine, will expand to include a youth category for aspiring playwrights next year.
There are five different plays shown during the production, each with a different director and actors. Over a dozen local actors from Oxford and the surrounding communities will participate in this year’s festival, ranging in experience from beginners to seasoned actors of stage and film. Due to the nature of these short plays, those actors who have limited time can still be a part of a theatre production. The shorter scenes mean less lead time and rehearsals for these volunteers. The 10-minute plays also traditionally feature smaller casts and minimal sets, which results in an intimate theatre experience for audience members.
The festival offers new experiences not only for some actors, but for some of the writers as well. In addition to the award-winning plays, productions from local playwrights will also be featured. Meaghin Burke, executive director of the festival, shares that one of the highlights of the festival is a wonderful comedy submitted by local playwright, Brent Hearn. After his spring submission, his play was workshopped by the Ten-Minute Play Festival volunteers, and Theatre Oxford is very excited to be bringing it to the stage for its premiere.
Tickets cost $15 and are available online at oxfordarts.com, at the Powerhouse office, or at the door for each performance.
