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Behind the Scenes of 8 Tens @ 8... Ready, Set, Act!

Opening night is nearly here! Part 1 of this year's Short Play Festival is ready for its close-up on Friday January 17, with Part 2 following right behind on Saturday, January 18.

a man holding a red umbrella
David Leach in Geronimo! 2024 (photo by Natasha Loudermilk)

We've got the scripts, directors have made their picks, but the shows only finally come to life in the hands or our talented actors. After auditioning and being cast earlier this fall, they've been rehearsing, taking direction, and developing their characters to share these winning short plays with the world.


This year, as always, features some 8 Tens veterans who've been in the Festival many times before, as well as fresh new faces from this year's auditions. Despite their short length, a lot of work goes into making this potpourri of ten-minute plays funny, moving, thought provoking, interesting, and entertaining for our audience.


We surveyed the 2025 cast of 8 Tens @ 8 for their thoughts on this year's Festival and the pieces they've been working on. Here's what they had to say...

portrait of a woman


"8 Tens @ 8 was my last stage performance before taking a hiatus 20 years ago. What joy to debut my second act in this same Festival. The camaraderie and support have been wonderful. It's like coming home to family." 

~ Geneffa Jahan, The Bargain & Grouchy

close-up portrait of a woman

"This is my first time doing 8 Tens @ 8, and it’s so nice to have a more chill and flexible rehearsal schedule than usual. My castmates and director are awesome, and I hope our piece amuses you and touches your heart." 

~ Melanie Camras, Duels and Detentés




close-up portrait of a young man

"After a long run of playing fairly normal, well-meaning characters, it’s been refreshing and exciting to play a ridiculous, unapologetically evil demon. My costars Helene and Ezekiel and my director Miguel have been an absolute joy to work with. Each rehearsal has been more and more fun, and I can’t wait to reveal to the audience what we’ve been working on."

~ Isaac Ludington, Facing the Demon

a close-up of a man with his hand to his head

"Standing in the middle of the stage this past week during tech… a literal whirlwind of activity… stage crew moving all about.. ladders going up and down ... lights being set...  stage manager ordering things about... sound cues... props and furniture being set everywhere...  An organized chaos of creativity.  Just waiting for an audience!

~ Tom Boyle, The Wakers



close-up portrait of a woman

"This will be the seventh 8 Tens @ 8 I’ve acted in. I’ve directed for 11 of the Festivals. This time I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to be directed again by the multi-talented and superb human, Miguel Reyna, and my fellow actors, Isaac Ludington (whom I directed last year) and Zeke Tilmore, are a joy to work with. The play was written by a friend, Jennifer Alexander, and is not only laugh-your-ass-off funny, but also sweet and poignant." 

~ Helene Simkin Jara, Facing the Demon


close-up portrait of a woman

"As a newbie to 8 Tens @ 8, who is used to both acting in and directing full-length drama, it's been an eye-opening experience doing a ten-minute play. Just as short stories are a different animal to novels, these short plays have to pack a punch in a quick, abbreviated arc that leaves the audience with more questions than answers. I went in thinking 'Ten minutes? Easy peasy,' but oh was I wrong. This kind of concentrated snapshot approach lends itself to endless dissecting and speculation. I feel as if I have rehearsed this one ten-minute play more than anything else I've done (but maybe that's a misperception due to being in the throes of it all right now)!"

~ Denise Keplinger, Exit Strategy

close-up portrait of a man

"Although this will be my fifth ten-minute play for Actors' Theater, the past four years offstage have made me aware of how spiritual and holy the communal experience is, how much I've missed being away, and how great it feels to be back. Enjoy the show, everyone!"

~ Michael LaMere, The Nearest Far Away Place


close-up portrait of a woman

"I’m thrilled with the challenge of playing a very difficult, controversial character in a play that deals with an array of delicate subjects. I hope to evoke sympathy for a disturbing character."

~ Susy Parker, The Use of Children & Exit Strategy





close-up portrait of a man

"What's great about the Festival is that the ten-minute form is a wonderfully restrictive playground that forces the performer to hone each moment so that the flow of a piece is economical and true. Navigating compressed emotional transitions in an authentic way demands diving deeper into the acting craft and the experience can often be an almost Shakespearian exercise in rigor and technique. And exercise is a good word. Just as a musician practices each day, by the time you see our ten-minute piece, the cast will have rehearsed it for twenty hours or more, so that, when the audience finally arrives, we performers will be free to (try to) forget the prep, relax, and respond to the energy and attention they bring to our work. This means, just like the weather, every performance is unique, and, while we always strive for competency, occasionally we will rise far above it and some very special, very magical, sunny days will occur. All in ten minutes. And that makes the experience memorable for everyone in the room."

~ Ward Willats, Giver of Beauty


8 Tens @ 8 opens on January 17 and runs through February 16, with evening performances on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 pm. The two parts of the Festival, with 8 unique plays each, alternate, so it's possible to see both shows on each weekend day if you like. Tickets are available HERE.

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