Annual Play Showcase Returns
Story by Marcia Arpin, Photo by Marty Mascarin
Once again playwrights, directors, actors, and production crews assemble and collaborate their creativity to present the 10×10 Gala Showcase. The 10×10 Theatre InTENsive Project annually presents 10 specially selected scripts that are 10 minutes long. This year jurors Thom Currie, Thomas McDonald, and Rachel Warburton were challenged to choose from many submissions but happily concluded on this year’s lineup. The Gala Showcase will celebrate the year-long journey of regional participation in writing, technical, and acting workshops. As a result, audiences will be treated to a diversity of stories and a potpourri of talent.
For their fifth anniversary, the planning and selection committee are proud to produce a playwright’s first script, a Lakehead University undergrad’s original story, and a playwright who has developed a play in all five showcases. Other selections include: Singularity (written by Roy Blomstorm) that offers a meeting of science and humanity, a comedy Golf Lessons (written by Jane Crossman), and more giggles from The Moose’s Ransom (written by Carole Sauve), as well as The Stranger (written by Michael Lehto) that asks the question “how far does the apple really fall from the tree?”
Directors were selected regionally and partnered with each script. This gave directors with a variety of skills and experiences a unique opportunity to showcase their ideas and collaboratively work with a playwright and actors. Actors were auditioned and welcomed inclusively into this creative process with the results generated in time for opening night.
This year the Gala Showcase has expanded to feature YOUth 10×10. This 10 week workshop mentored youth (ages 11-18) in the community each week to develop scripts for production. This resulted in another 10-week process to develop youth directors and actors. Together this dedicated team of youth has prepared several scripts, sets, and even puppets for audiences to appreciate. This program’s presentation will be featured on April 30 at 1 pm.
The 10×10 Gala Showcase is on stage at the Finlandia on April 29 at 7:30 pm and April 30 at 4 pm. For more information visit 10x10tbay.ca.
