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

There are 16 plays, 16 directors, and only one stage. Here's how our 8 Tens designers make it work.

A primary and popular feature of the Actors' Theatre 8 Tens @ 8 Short Play Festival is the variety. Audiences always enjoy the rapid move from play to play and place to place. This year's shows take you from the front seat of a Ford Fiesta to the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. And it all happens on the same 24-foot-wide stage!

It's a rapid-fire progression of lights, sound and scenery, with a very busy deck crew whose quick scene changes are almost as much fun to watch as the plays themselves. Giving each piece it's own distinctive setting, mood and sound, while also ensuring it all hangs together as a whole, is a yearly challenge that our ligthing, set and sound designers embrace with enthusiasm and some creative problem solving.

We asked this year's designers to share a bit about the challenge and fun of bringing the 16 plays in the Festival to life.

"Debunked," 2024 (photo by Davis Banta)

Suzanne Schrag (Set Design): Negotiating is definitely part of it. The directors each have their ideal scene in mind and a wish list of set pieces, furntiture and props. So questions like, "Can you use the same armchair that other show is using if we dress it up with some pillows?" or, "Does anyone actually sit on that bench... and do they have to?" are par for the course. I like to think that reoccuring set pieces are part of the charm (who can forget the three ficus trees!) but each year there are also pieces that require a unique set, whether it's a deserted warehouse, or an urban bunker, or the abstract space inside a character's mind. Even the more common settings, such as a kitchen, living room or the inevitable park bench, still need to feel right for the play, with colors and set dressing befitting the mood and message of the piece. We work together to solve the puzzle of how we can convey the setting in the simplest way possible, while still giving the actors everything they need to tell the story, And, of course, make sure it can all fit backstage and be quickly set and struck by our amazing stage crew during the show!

"Slave Trade," 2023, photo by Actors' Theatre

Ryn Smith (Lighting Design): My approach to lighting 16 different plays is a step-by-step process, I read through them all while making notes on the different lighting needs. I make a lighting cue spreadsheet to make sure that I have everything that I would need not only to program the cues but to also tell the stage manager what they need in order for them to write their own cues. Then, during tech, I walk through the cues with the directors making sure that they like how the lighting looks and adjusting anything they feel needs adjusting. What's fun about this is the process but that's also what is challenging. Each story is different, so making sure that the lighting adds to the atmosphere and theme of the play is important. My work in theatre has primarily been in lighting and I have dabbled in the many branches of tech throughout my theatre journey. Working with Actors' Theatre has been really fun and joyful. Thanks to Actors' Theatre I've been able to learn more about tech and the creative process, while also being able to work with incredibly genuine and kind people. Actors' Theatre is a place that allows growth and creativity to thrive and I feel like I have been able to flourish through working alongside this remarkable theatre.

Set for "An Adventure in Forms," 2023

Colin Theil (Sound Design): Sound design for a series of short plays will come with some challenges. With 16 different scripts and as many set changes, certain set design choices made on some plays will create restrictions for others on the same stage. I will be balancing the needs and creative desires of a lot of people, but I'm looking forward to the challenge! 

(Colin is an audio engineer and sound designer in the Monterey Bay area who got his start at Cabrillo Stage.)

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 available HERE.