Review: The Vermont Playwrights Circle's TENFEST 2026 (Hosted By Lost Nation Theater)

Now in its 19th year, The Vermont Playwrights Circle’s TenFest is a celebration of the creativity of theatre artists who have and do call Vermont home. Each year, the group selects ten 10-minute plays based on a common chosen theme. This year, the theme was “Conversations at a Table,” where playwrights were asked to submit plays with the limitation that the only set pieces be a table and two chairs. The plays selected gave a wide variety of genre and topic, and kept the unchanging set feeling fresh with each new story. TenFest plays again tonight, August 8th, at 7:30pm and tomorrow, August 9th, at 2pm.

The night begins with Bread, written by Peter Santos and directed by Ruth Ann Pattee. Bread is a lighthearted comedy about modern dating, with fun gags and wonderful comedic foreshadowing. Steve, played by Wes Olds, and Heather, played by Maggie Mae Anderson, meet for a date at a restaurant when Steve realizes they no longer serve his beloved bread rolls. Theo Exploration and Krishna Arvind feature as the hilarious side characters of a bored server and a pissed-off cop. 

Next up is The Splendid Splinter, written by Liam Kuhn and directed by Kohl Comtess. Bringing to mind classic sports hero films of the 80s and 90s, The Splendid Splinter is a heartfelt comedy about baseball legend Ted Williams, played by Gabe Sequeria-Bacher. With a memorable performance by Don Loeb as Johnny Orlando, the Red Sox’s clubhouse manager, the story follows Williams and Orlando on a night out as they discuss the merits of Ted playing in the next game with his average at 399-55.

Play number three is The Fourth Wall is Broken, written by Jim Sampson and directed by Paul Cavaliere. This play is an excellent satire on modern theatre-making in the age of social media. The Fourth Wall is Broken is full of great laughs that don’t punch down on what makes local theatre so wonderful and unique. Ty Tannic, played by Jim Sampson (the playwright!), and Penny Pinscher, played by Deborah Feldman, are the creative directors of a theater, focused on LGBTQIA comedies, that’s going under. When they ask FlipFlop influencer Caprice Fickle, played with boldness and energy by Thaniiska Krishna Arvind, for help, they get more than they bargained for. 

After that is Legacy, written by Sarah McDougal and directed by Ruth Ann Pattee. Legacy is a wonderful drama about the struggles of war-time housewives in a misogynist-encouraging world that draws its inspiration from (and references) the classics of Agatha Christie. When Anne Carsley’s, played by Andra Kisler, husband dies under mysterious circumstances, her late brother’s wife Sophie Fitz-Allen, played by Karen Hatcher, comes to comfort her. But when truths and resentments are revealed and Inspector John Mallory, played by Ray Merrill, arrives, Sophie and Anne must band together to protect each other. 

The last play featured before intermission is The Haircut, written by Kate L. Dellner and directed by Tom Badowski. This play is a punch-packing comedy/drama about two seemingly polar opposite brothers who share the same heart. Jack, played with reserve by Gabe Sequeira-Bacher, comes home from college to discover that his brother Teddy, played with feeling by Mar Greene, has reached a breaking point over the changes in their lives.

Starting off the Act 2 selection is Unhinged, written by Sarah E. DeBouter and directed by Sarah McDougal. Unhinged is a laugh-out-loud riot that exaggerates the experience of dating while living with OCD and other anxiety disorders. The story follows Vivvy, played by Sarah Storjohann, and Charles, played by Don Loeb, as they navigate a date while using an app designed to pair couples by the compatibility of their mental illness. On a personal note, this reviewer lives with OCD, and this play truly touched on the reality of anxiety disorders and “laughed with us” over the absurdity that can come from it.

Next is Earring, written by James McLindon and co-directed by Irene Halibozek and Kohl Comtess. The play is an unexpected and well-paced comedy about marital affairs and the women they can unite through revenge. Devin, played by Irene Halibozek, enlists the help of a lawyer, Anna, played by Kohl Comtess, after discovering she's been dating a married man. There’s nothing illegal about an affair, but Devin has another secret up her sleeve. 

Play number eight is White Lies, written by Jim Thompson and directed by Ray Merrill. White Lies is a beautifully written and well-rounded story about what women keep and what they give up. The play opens on a psychologist, Sarah, played by Andra Kisler, waiting for her newest client, Jennifer, played by Phayvanh Luekhamhan, at a park. Jennifer has become unexpectedly pregnant and can’t decide what to do, or whether to accept the hard truths that Sarah has to offer. Meanwhile, a distressed mother, Penny, played by Sarah Storjohann, desperately searches for her son, leaving the audience, and Jennifer, wondering why Sarah seems to be leading Penny on a wild goose chase.

Pre-Wedding Jitters is next, written by Kekla Magoon and directed by Kim Ward. This play is a poignant drama about identity and family that feels especially relevant in today’s America. Melissa, played with perfect blissful ignorance by Maggie York, is planning her dream wedding to Carmen’s, played with precise awkwardness by Nicole Westbom, father, but can’t seem to understand that Carmen’s plus-one, Amber, played with amazing realism by Parvathi Rajaram, is more than just her friend.

Last, but not least, is Know-It-Alls written by Colleen Curran and directed by Sarah DeBouter. Know-It-Alls is a relevant satire on AI and our daily relationship to information. The story follows three women in a mysterious facility as they discuss what brought them there and what their purpose might be. Farrow, played by Kim Ward, is the newest “inmate,” learning from her two “cellmates,” Rosalie, played by Louisa Patterson, and Mckenna, played by Phayvanh Luekhamhan, that the world they live in and the way get their information is more than what it seems.

If you’re looking to support and introduce yourself to the work of local playwrights while also enjoying a splendid night of diverse theatre, make plans to head to our state capital this weekend to indulge in The Vermont Playwrights Circle’s 2026 TenFest.

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