The Freshest Voices in Local Storytelling (The Bard)

stagedoorlouisville
2 hours ago
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Ten-tucky Festival of Ten-Minute Plays

Written by: Vidalia Unwin, Colby Ballowe, Brandon Saylor, Sophia

Hoffert, Carol Grossman, Jeremy Garcia, Shannon Watts, Wesley Moore

Directed by: Abby Braune, Gabrielle Hartman, Jeremy Garcia, Floren Kyteler, Ev Davis, Meaghan Holland, Alysa Rae Hendricks, Brandon Saylor

Review by Regina Harris

In my reviews, I often find myself saying, “In a city full of talented actors, this was an exceptional cast.” I truly believe that every single time. While I frequently think about the directors, I more rarely consider the playwrights. Turning that around for me, the Ten-tucky

Festival of Ten-Minute Plays amplified the voices of eight local playwrights, whose subjects ranged from sweetly sentimental examinations of family relationships to incisive social commentary and addressed topics from inner conflict to outer space and the liminal territory in between.

The result was one of the most satisfying evenings of theater I’ve experienced in a city already rife with compelling theater. Opening Thursday night at The Bard Theatre, the eight short plays held the attention of a genuinely engaged and appreciative audience.

The evening opened with SNAKES! written by Vidalia Unwin and directed by Abby Braune. The play offers a sharp, revealing peek into a first date between a guy steeped in the manosphere and a woman who is simply looking to have a little fun with dating. Absurdly set in a restaurant that has somehow ordered snakes instead of steaks, SNAKES! features Bryce Woodard as the increasingly desperate waiter trying to keep dense Dylan (adeptly played by Lee Stein) and conscious Claire (cleverly portrayed by Katie Swain) happy as they navigate the trepidation of a first date and a meal that is decidedly not what they ordered.

Next on the menu was Mrs. Marvel’s Magical Meeting Place written by Colby Ballowe and directed by Gabrielle Hartman, in which a fledgling couple drops into the shop of Mrs. Marvel, a psychic, and gets far more than they ever intended to reveal. Kate Bariteau, intriguing as Mrs. Marvel, and Shelby Fluhr and Danica Riddle as Mark and Janice,

respectively, immediately made the audience just a little uncomfortable with their portrayal of a deeply mismatched couple.

Dear Dakota, written by Brandon Saylor and directed by Jeremy Garcia, sweetly examines the evolving relationship between a father and daughter over the years. As mentioned before the production, both Saylor and Garcia are dads of young children and, as such, brought a palpable sense of emotion to the production. Saylor’s touching rendition of the father, paired with his insight into the daughter’s experience, played by Stacia Schaum, was as heartwarming as it was heartbreaking. Patiently conneting the two characters, Ashley Anderson added a nice touch as mom.

Rounding out the first half of the festival was Light-Speed, a thoughtful peace by Sophia Hoffert that offered an opportunity to view neurodivergence as a strength rather than a deficit. Director Floren Kyteler helped shape the story of a strained relationship between a

mother played by Ashley Hammerbeck, and her exceptionally intelligent neurodivergent daughter, played by Danika Riddle, while exploring the daughter’s potential intellectual impact on society. The result was a quietly powerful piece that invited the audience to reconsider not only how we define difference, but what we may be missing when we fail to

recognize its possibilities.

Opening night jitters contributed to a few rushed lines and, on occasion,a frustrating lack of projection from some of the actors throughout the evening, but that will no doubt be corrected through the rest of the run. Managing director Daniel Riddlesmith provided deligheul preshow and intermission entertainment with his cabaret-style rendi-ons of pop and rock songs spanning the 80’s-2000’s.

The second half of the festival started with Hell’s Fire written by Caroll Grossman and directed by Ev Davis. A sensitive story about a woman’s memory of a suspicious house fire lost a little steam upfront, again due in part to projection issues. Nonetheless, the actors-particularly Zach Daniel as the dad and Carol Shorr as the daughter-turned in performances that gave the story emotional weight.

The Waiting Room, written by Jeremy Garcia, found Ty Wood and Bryce Woodard hilariously convincing as a couple of guys experiencing existential crises while in a sitting in a waitinng room, though neither can remember why or how they got there. The cagy Receptionist,

Shelby Fluhr, isn’t much help, providing an increasingly maddening experience for both men, reminiscent of No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre. The script was tight and punchy, and director Meghan Holland created a thoroughly engaging comic moment.

The Grapes, written by Shannon Watts and directed by Alyssa Rae Hendricks, impressed as a quick-witted repartee between the divine Dionysus played by an unnamed special guest, and Ruth portrayed by Genny Friesen, who is struggling with loss and searching for a path into the new year. Sadly, this was another place where some of the otherwise intriguing dialogue was a bit difficult decipher, unfortunate because the Dionysus actor’s comic timing, combined with a very clever script, was clearly something special. This is one I’d love to see again, because beneath the delivery challenges was a nicely layered and genuinely funny piece. Overall, I believe it to be an impressive work.

End capping the evening was Smoke Break written by Wesley Moor and directed by Brandon Saylor. In a series of scenes full of self-deprecating humor and absurd situations, Smoke Break drops in on a group of folks taking a break from an orgy while dealing with their own insecurities. It is raunchy, suggestive, and completely committed to its premise, with every actor spot on in timing and expression. It was the perfect way to close a satisfying evening of theatre.

Kudos to everyone involved and bringing this festival to life. Eight playwrights, eight directors, a terrific ensemble of actors, and a production team willing to take chances made for an evening that showcased just how much creative energy exist in Louisville’s theatre

community.

You have a few more opportunites to treat yourself to some of the freshest voices in local storytelling-so get your tickets now. This one deserves a full house.

Ten-tucky Festival of 10-Minute Plays

The Bard Theatre

August 28, 29 7:30 PM

August 30, 2:30 PM

September 3, 4, 5, 7:30 PM

511 E. Burnett Ave.

Louisville, KY 40217

https://our.show/tentucky