10 x 10 Offers Something for Everyone at Fells Point Corner Theatre

Fells Point Corner Theatre (FPCT) is running its popular "10 x 10" performance -- 10 plays by 10 different playwrights from across the nation that last 10 minutes each. It's a unique format that tantalizes the imagination with comedy and drama and fantasy all swirled together. It's the third year for the playwright competition and such a hit with audiences that FPCT has expanded its run to four weeks because so many shows reached "sold out" status last year.

This year, over 71 plays (up from 47 in 2012) were submitted and a panel of readers selected the top 10 that are featured. Yes, many of the submissions are from the Baltimore area, but playwrights from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, California, and Massachusetts also entered the competition.

There's something for everyone at "10x10" and it's amazing how much can be packed into 10 minutes. There are laugh-out-loud plays like "In Love With Bobby" (which feels exactly like a SNL skit) and "Albert Einstein's Brain." There are disturbing moments with "Pecan Pie" and "The Accident." And there are charming vignettes like "Getting Lucky" and "Missed Connections." Overall, the plays seem to lean on the side of comedy this year, but there are some mind benders like the verbal sword play in "Transference" and the haunting line -- "for $10,000 our kids can come home" - from "The Accident."

This year, there are also 10 actors who perform in all the plays. It's intriguing to see how they transform themselves for each role. Actor Justin Johnson is a charming, sweet husband in "Getting Lucky" and a tightly wound interrogator in "Transference" and an assassin in "Confeteor." Anne Shoemaker is a hysterical elementary school student in "In Love With Bobby" and a green activist and native American spiritualist in "Rare Affair." Amy Mulvihill is a lisping elementary school student with a keen grasp of the rules of the popular crowd in "In Love With Bobby" and an indulgent wife of a quirky collector of oddities like Napoleon's penis and pieces of Abraham Lincoln's hair in "Albert Einstein's Brain." The range of characters and story lines the actors cover is impressive, and watching them develop each character in a short time frame is a rare audience experience.

Guaranteed - you'll find something you like at "10 x 10." At the end of each show, audience members vote for their top three favorites. Votes are tallied and a winner will be announced at the final show. "10 x 10" runs through May 5 at Fells Point Corner Theatre and tickets are a mere $12. Go to www.fpct.org to order. After the May 5 performance, the audience can participate in a discussion of the plays and the winners will be announced.

2013 "10x10" Plays

Albert Einstein's Brain by Ron Burch, Los Angeles, CA

The Accident by Richard Ballon, Amherst, MA

Missed Connections by Marj O'Niell-Butler, Miami, FL

Garden Variety by Rich Pauli, Annapolis, MD

Confeteor by Pat McGeever, Philadelphia, PA

In Love with Bobby by Sharon Goldner, Baltimore, MD

Transference by Daniel Collins, Baltimore, MD

Pecan Pie by Kevin Brian, Baltimore, MD

Getting Lucky by Chris Shaw Swanson, Westerville, OH

Rare Affair by Katy Bishop, Baltimore, MD