Review: 10X10X10 PLAY FESTIVAL at Fells Point Corner Theatre Scores Tens Across the Board!
This play festival runs now through August 30th.
Tucked between row homes on a quiet, one-way street in Upper Fells Point lives an 18th century firehouse with a community whose heart could carry the entire city of Baltimore. No single event showcases this better than Fells Point Corner Theatre’s 10x10x10 Play Festival.
The concept is simple: 10 short plays. 10 local playwrights. 10 local performers. With the advent of the play festival’s tenth anniversary, the talent is clearly raised to the fourth power. Every play is a star in its own right, with topics exploring everything from unrequited love to the implications of hidden OnlyFans accounts. Without spoiling too much, the ten plays have audience members going through every feeling in the spectrum by the time the one-hundred minutes (and fifteen minute intermission) are concluded.
10x10x10’s directional team (featuring Tracy Baxter, Lee Conderacci, Youri Kim, Kimberley Lynne, Tommy Parker, and assistant directors Abby Dobry and Mira Lamson Klein) go above and beyond to showcase each of their ten actors’ talents and portray each play’s unique themes in captivating precision. Each member of the creative team clearly brought their A-game to this play festival, including Costume Designer Anna McGreevy (and assistant costumer, Azura Hassan), who proved that it is possible to costume anthropomorphic breasts tastefully.
Here are short, three-sentence overviews of each of the ten featured plays, including a (spoiler-free) unforgettable line from each one:
Everybody Likes California (by Robin Baron) explores topics of infidelity with humor, grace, and lost shoes. Actors Niki Jay and Elvis Karegeya portray the main “couple” in perfect harmony with Baron’s writing, despite the fictional pair’s not-so-harmonious reality. Unforgettable Line: Not necessarily a line, but audience members will not know what they were missing from their lives until they hear Etta James played back-to-back with Sir Mix-A-Lot.
Memory Machine (by Gabe Fremuth) demands audience members to examine the ethical concerns associated with artificial intelligence, and asks how far they are willing to go to see their loved ones for a final time. The central trio is played by Richard Goldberg, Tarita Turner, and John Covaleskie, who each masterfully embody different points-of-view for this story. Unforgettable line: “Not quite in the flesh, but the next best thing!”
Resub, A Play (by Gabriel Lewin) traverses tricky familial territory with arguments a Victorian child would perish to hear discussed. The central father-daughter duo is portrayed by Michael Kranick, the relatable disbelieving father, and Nerrie Navarro, the successful business-oriented daughter. Unforgettable Line: “How can you possibly be alive in the Trump era and not know what an OnlyFans is?”
The Last Word (by Regan Nelson) leaves audiences spellbound with a harrowing non-confessional scene on death row. Mae Philippe-Auguste breaks hearts as the convicted innate, across John Covaleskie, who makes his second appearance of the festival as the dubious priest. Unforgettable Line: “Tell me that hell doesn’t have to continue when I leave this one.”
Boo Boo Strikes Again (by Aladrian C. Wetzel) delves into the perils and joys of parenthood from an unparalleled lens. Najah Bayyan and Niki Jay are a phenomenal comedic duo, with hilarious banter from start to finish. Unforgettable Line: “I live in fear of baby teeth.”
After the Wedding (by Rocky Nunzio) centers around a couple reflecting on a nuptial day’s events. Mae Philippe-Auguste and Michael Kranick are back for this one, and provide humor while delivering gasp-worthy dialogue. Unforgettable Line: “I give you permission to see me in my underwear.”
Transfixed (by Emma Staisloff) makes every other bad roommate story look like a walk in the park. Acting by Nerrie Navarro, Tarita Turner, and Mikailah Mitchell injects hilarity into this chilling dark comedy. Unforgettable Line: “We’re all sinners after all, aren’t we?”
The Body Holds a Secret About God (by Casey Rastegar) places consequence of action and captivation in the lamplight. Actors Elvis Karegeya and Michael Kranick depict entertaining comedic foils in this religious saga. Unforgettable Line: “We can be sure he’s no pope.”
God Hates Me (by Marshall Logan Gibbs) reflects the lonely feeling of being singled out for torture while light-heartedly demanding a little less self-pity from the suffering. Performances by Richard Goldberg and Mikailah Mitchell can be described as nothing short of divinely transcendent. Unforgettable Line: “You don’t look like Morgan Freeman.”
Intrepid 3000 (by Sharon Goldner) is the perfect finish to this play festival, providing the (popped) cherry on top of this pleasurable theatrical experience. Actors Tarita Turner and Najah Bayyan provide riotous performances that dare audience members to question what friendship truly means. Unforgettable Line: “Our lives [are] about to explode.”
Support local art and go see Fells Point Corner Theatre’s 10x10x10 Play Festival, running now through August 30th. Some showcased plays contain mature content which may not be suitable for all ages.
Photos from Fells Point Corner Theatre.
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