Review: 10x10x10 2023 At Fells Point Corner Theatre: Longer Than A Tweet, Shorter Than An Indictment

Ten small pieces of theater that add up to two hours, rather than one big one? Yes, please! If you support local Baltimore theaters, regional playwrights and new works, 10x10x10 2023 at Fells Point Corner Theatre should delight you.

In 2011, FPCT debuted their short plays competition as 10x10, an evening of 10-minute plays by ten playwrights. In 2015, they added a 10-person performing company as a festival feature, and another “x10” to the title. Audience members- that’s you- vote for their three favorite shows at the end of each performance. At the conclusion of the production, the playwrights of the three most popular shows are awarded cash prizes. 

This year’s selections of 10-minute plays at Fells Point Corner Theatre are topical, but not specifically political. Themes composing this year’s 10x10x10 are non-trivial: addiction, violence, representation, loss, conservation, memory, acceptance, identity, and of course, that perennial favorite, family. The plays also include, collectively, elements of mystery, introspection and humor.

I’m impressed almost immediately by the quality technical values in lighting and sound. Compliments to Sound Designer Brad Norris for an auditory through-line linking each new piece to the one that just finished. Specific sound effects add to the individuality of the plays, and I appreciate the thought that went into creating the show’s soundtrack. Lighting Designer Niya John increases the drama of the pieces with lighting that is sometimes stark, sometimes soft, with an abundance of special spots to highlight the character of the moment. Aniya Robinson delivers costuming that doesn’t seem so much like costuming as wearable character enhancement.

Margaret Condon is outstanding in each of her roles, but clearly relishes playing against type in the first piece, titled At A Stop On The Road To The City, by Kai DonDero. Playwright DonDero wrote this play in a traditional Japanese storytelling format, one unfamiliar to most Western writers and Western audiences, myself included. Learning a bit about kishotenketsu helps me put the piece in context. 

In The Wrong Box, by Richard Pauli, Emma Staisloff is annoyingly familiar until she’s hilarious, while her co-star Broadus Nesbitt III descends from reasonably helpful into near incoherence. In Monster Mash, by Jalice Corral, all three characters- played by Emma Grace Dunbar, Raechel Mann and Mira Lamson Klein- have comic opportunities, which they seize with energetic zeal. Director Bird Pope imparts clear staging that brings visually interesting, natural movement to a potentially static piece.

Bex Vega, (who was terrific in R/J at Strand earlier this summer), is frazzled and relatable in Birthday Manicure, by Ramon Miranda Amaya. Vega’s performance partner is Alexander Velasco, who is convincing playing a teen. Vega later displays excellent comic timing in Act II’s The Kvetching Tree, by Helen Cheng Mao. Director Steve Satta supplements The Kvetching Tree with a cute cartoonish aesthetic that aligns with the format of the story.

 Margaret Condon is uncomfortably spot-on in Body Positivity, by Alli Hartley-Kong, in which she and Mira Lamson Klein both make brave choices as actors, and which particularly showcases Penelope Chan’s deft, understated directorial hand. 

I’m surprised and intrigued by the theme and structure of Colin Valkenet’s A Working Title, in which John Dignam displays versatility as an actor, and director Liam Watkins takes advantage of FPCT’s excellent technical resources. In Opioid, by Corey Jay Johnson, director Tina Canady matches the pace to the story, and delivers an insightful take on recovery, with Mo Stewart, Raechel Mann and Broadus Nesbitt III.

In Elizabeth Shannon’s Kaylee And Adelyn, we expect a certain sort of rivalry, then encounter a twist that Emma Staisloff handles with heartbreaking sincerity. The finale of the show, The Screening, by Shakill Jamal,  sees main character Mo Stewart reveal disturbing secrets that might plant a little “what if?” in your brain. 

Intermission offers refreshments, which seem to be permitted inside the theater. Bathrooms just off the lobby are gendered; a non-gendered restroom is available upstairs, according to a sign beside the door. At 9:18, we’re warned to resume our seats; at 9:23, the lights go down. By the way, programs are online only. If you’d like a peek (or a printout), see the program here.

Each piece in 10x10x10 2023 holds together, and provides what it implicitly promises: a short story with beginning, middle and end. In addition, each play is effective in amusing, enticing and engaging my attention. In a couple, the point is obscure; in others, obvious. Strong writing dominates the production, and each piece is different enough from its fellows that determining the “best” show is challenging, as the plays vary widely in format, pacing, tone and subject. I maybe could choose which piece is my favorite, but it’s probably not the one I consider best written. Ultimately, I abstain, and instead encourage you, theater-goers, to venture out, decide these things for yourselves, and vote!

Running time: Approximately two hours, including a twenty-minute intermission

10x10x10  2023 plays at Fells Point Corner Theatre through August 27th, 2023: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 2 PM. Tickets are $24.00. 

Fells Point Corner Theatre (FPCT) Baltimore, Maryland, 21231

Phone number: 410-878-0228 

Photo, courtesy of FPCT, L to R: Emma Grace Dunbar, Mira Lamson Klein, Raechel Mann in Jalice Corral’s 10 minute play, Monster Mash. 

Please email support@fpct.org with any questions. As to Covid precautions, the website insists that mask-wearing by audience members is mandatory; I find, however, that I’m among a minority of mask-wearers in the building. 

FPCT’s website advises everyone to allow an extra 20 minutes for finding parking, while the Directions page suggests that parking is available on Broadway, (a two-block walk from the theater), with a strong reminder to check the meters carefully for hours of operation. The Directions page also includes names, hours and phone numbers for local eateries, should you wish a pre-show nosh.  

Final Factoid: If you think you’d like to participate by submitting a ten-minute play, do! The information on the link cites dates for the 2023 competition. Use those dates as a guideline only, and check the website for updates!

Cheat Sheet for the shows:

1. At A Stop On The Road To The City, by Kai DonDero Dir. Steve Satta (Raechel Mann, Emma Grace Dunbar, Margaret Condon)
2. The Wrong Box, by Richard Pauli, Dir. Tina Canady (Broadus Nesbitt III, Emma Staisloff)
3. Monster Mash, by Jalice Corral, Dir. Bird Pope (Mira Lamson Klein, Raechel Mann, Emma Grace Dunbar)
4. Birthday Manicure, by Ramon Miranda Amaya, Dir. Bird Pope (Bex Vega, Alexander Velasco)
5. Body Positivity, by Alli Hartley-Kong, Dir. Penelope Chan (Margaret Condon, Mira Lamson Klein)
6. The Kvetching Tree, by Helen Cheng Mao, Dir. Steve Satta (Bex Vega, Alexander Velasco, Mo Stewart)
7. A Working Title, by Colin Valkenet, Dir. Liam Watkins (John Dignam, Emma  Staisloff, Mira Lamson Klein)
8. Opioid, by Corey Jay Johnson Dir. Tina Canady (Raechel Mann, Mo Stewart, Broadus Nesbitt III)
9. Kaylee and Adelyn, by Elizabeth Shannon, Dir. Liam Watkins (Emma Grace Dunbar, Emma Staisloff)
10. The Screening, by Shakill Jamal, Dir. Penelope Chan (Mo Stewart, Margaret Condon, Bex Vega, John Dignam)

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