Behind the Scenes of 8 Tens @ 8... Ready, Set, Direct!
- Actors' Theatre
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
The 2026 8 Tens @ 8 Short Play Festival opens on Friday January 16, with Part 1. Part 2 follows right behind on Saturday, January 17.
Rehearsals are in full swing for this year's Festival, with directors guiding their actors through the process of bringing this year's scripts to life.
This year, as always, features 8 Tens veterans who've directed for the Festival many times before, as well as some exciting new faces. 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 asked some of the directors for this year's 8 Tens @ 8 a few questions about directing for the Festival. Gerry Gerringer (Code A), Gail Borkowski (The Tea Test), Brian Spencer (The Moment Before), Susan McKay (Pelusa) and Peter Gelblum (Line Cooks Like Baby Birds) shared their thoughts. Here's what we asked, and what they had to say...
What do you enjoy about being part of 8 Tens @ 8?
Gerry: I enjoy the camaraderie, seeing old friends, making new ones and seeing the arrival of new talent. The atmosphere is positive and fun and the quality of the productions consistent.
Gail: 8 Tens @ 8 is a one-of-a-kind event, and iconic to Santa Cruz for almost three decades. The festival brings together amazing local, community talent and new scripts each year.
Brian: I enjoy the fact that we form a community to work on the 8 Tens and the community is always different!
Susan: I have been enjoying the 8 Tens @ 8 Festival for years. I am excited to be directing for my first time with the festival and I feel like it is a wonderful way to get my feet wet as a director.
What's challenging about it?
Peter: On one hand, it's much easier dealing with a 10-minute play than a full-length script, because... it's 10 minutes, instead of 90 or 120 or more. It's just one scene and usually a very small cast, so there's much less rehearsal needed. On the other hand, it's a complete story in 10 minutes, so, as a director, you need to help the actors tell a complete story in a very short time--setting up the story and bringing it in a complete arc, with a satisfying and understandable story and ending. One 10-minute scene in a full-length play never carries that much weight. It may take the characters and the plot from A to B or C, but never from A to Z; there's plenty beforehand to set things up and afterwards to explain and explore and bring things to a conclusion. In an 8 Tens piece, you generally need to know and show where the characters came from before the piece starts, and set them on their way to a very brief but believable story and a satisfying ending.
Gerry: The challenge of the 10-minute play begins with the playwright. If the short play has a strong structure, i.e. a clear beginning, middle and end, the play is more accessible to the director and the audience.
Gail : The story needs to be brought to life with a beginning, middle and end, in 10 minutes vs 90 minutes and with fewer rehearsals. And, while they may be 10-minute plays, scheduling rehearsals can be challenging. Oftentimes, actors are in multiple plays and have limited availability during the holiday season.
Brian: Working on a 10-minute play is challenging mostly because of the tight and concise nature of the material. Also there is sometimes the added complexity of actors working on two different characters with different directors!
Susan: New plays are always interesting and sometimes research is needed to figure out just what the playwright is trying to say or get across to the audience.
What are some things you do to help bring a short piece alive for the audience?
Gerry: I try to bring the play alive by emphasizing energy and connectivity between the actors. The audience feels that connection and responds. I also always look for a chance to emphasize the unpredictable and unusual aspects of the script.
Gail: Each rehearsal, we find ways to deepen the connection between the actresses with read-through warm-ups. We make new discoveries about honesty, presence, and the impacts and nuances of the story being told in movement. A shift in blocking can alter a stagnant dynamic. A lingering pause can accentuate mounting tension. A look can emphasize a single word. And when you think all has been discovered, a spontaneous reaction happens between the characters that won’t be forgotten. It’s a collective process that requires everyone to participate. A lot happens in 10 minutes.
Brian: I like to work fast and get the blocking done quickly to free my actors to work on character development. It also helps to make the integration easier when combining all the plays into an evening. I truly love to see the end results each year.
Susan: I love working with my actors. I like to do some character work with them. What is their background? Where do they come from? What is in their closet? Those are some of the questions I like them to think about. I also like to encourage them to write a diary page or two from their character's perspective.
Anything else you would want people to know about directing for the Festival?
Gail: It’s truly an honor to work with such a dedicated group of people, committed to bringing so many talented, theater loving folks together, for this iconic event.
Peter: Fun, fun, fun.
8 Tens @ 8 opens on January 16 and runs through February 15, 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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