Actors' Theatre presents four different shows as part of the Ripple Effect Arts Festival in Santa Cruz. Join us for shows from Jump Rhythm, an award-winning performance company from Chicago, and more!

This year, 2026, marks the 30th performance of the 8 Tens @ 8 Short Play Festival. The brainchild of local theater director, playwright, teacher and mentor Wilma Marcus Chandler back in 1995, the Festival is still one of the most anticipated events of the Santa Cruz theater season, and is now the longest-running short play festival in the world. We talked with Wilma to get her perspective on 8 Tens @ 8, from the very beginning up until today.