The theater is one of the oldest and most diverse forms of artistic expression that exists. Throughout history, different genres, styles, and theatrical forms have emerged, adapting to the tastes, needs, and contexts of each time and place. One of the most recent and popular forms is the 10 minute play, also known as micro-theater or brief theater. What is it? What characteristics and format do they have? What advantages and disadvantages do they offer for playwrights and theater companies? These are some of the questions we will try to answer in this article, to approach this fascinating world of miniature theater.
A 10 minute play is a theatrical piece with a duration of approximately 10 minutes. It is characterized by a simple structure, a few characters, a single setting, and a plot that is resolved quickly and surprisingly. This theatrical form aims to capture the audience’s attention from the very beginning, offering an intense, entertaining, and varied experience.
Typically, they are part of a cycle or festival, presented consecutively or simultaneously in different spaces. The 10-minute form originated as a form of theatrical experimentation, allowing playwrights to explore dramatic ideas concisely. Over time, it has become an established theatrical genre with numerous festivals and competitions dedicated exclusively to these short pieces.
The origins of this type of theater can be traced back to the 1950s and 1960s when American playwrights began experimenting with short works that could be performed in alternative spaces such as bars, cafes, art galleries, or even on the street. Some of the pioneers of this form include David Mamet and Sam Shepard.
However, the term “10 minute plays” became popular in the 1990s, thanks to the Actors Theatre of Louisville, which organized the first festival of its kind in 1989 and remains one of the most important in the world. Since then, the format has spread worldwide, leading to the creation of numerous festivals, competitions, publications, and platforms dedicated to 10 minute plays. Some of these are the Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival, the National Ten-Minute Play Contest, the Heideman Award, the Best American Short Plays, the Best Ten-Minute Plays, the 10 Minute Play Podcast, and the 10 Minute Play Workshop.
The 10 minute play has a series of characteristics and a format that distinguishes it from other types of theatrical works. Some of these characteristics are:
Duration: As the name suggests, this type of play has an approximate duration of 10 minutes, which equates to about 10 pages of text, with a variation margin of about 2 minutes more or less. This duration implies that the work must be concise, direct, and to the point, and it must have an agile and dynamic pace that maintains the audience’s interest.
Structure: They usually have a simple structure, based on the Aristotelian model of exposition, conflict, and resolution, although other structures such as circular, fragmentary, or linear can also be used. The important thing is that the work has a unity of action, meaning it focuses on a single conflict that develops and resolves during the play. Additionally, the play must have a turning point or climax that surprises the audience and gives meaning to the story.
Characters: 10 minute plays typically have a few characters, ranging from 1 to 4, although more can be used as long as it is justified and managed well. The characters must be believable, interesting, and complex, with clear motivation and a goal that drives their actions. The characters must come into conflict with each other or with the environment, and must evolve or change throughout the play.
Setting: Frequently have a single setting, which can be realistic or symbolic and must be related to the theme and tone of the play. The setting must be easy to set up and dismantle, and must have the necessary elements to create the atmosphere and context of the story. The setting must be an active space that influences the action and the characters and has a dramatic function.
Plot: Usually have a plot that resolves quickly and surprisingly, leaving the audience with a feeling of satisfaction, emotion, reflection, or amusement. The plot must be original, creative, and coherent, with a beginning, development, and conclusion. The plot must have a central theme or idea that is clearly and effectively conveyed to the audience, making them think or feel something.
10 minute plays offer several advantages for playwrights and theater companies, making them very attractive and in demand. Some of these advantages are:
Creativity: Allow playwrights to explore their creativity and experiment with different genres, styles, themes, characters, settings, and plots without the limitations imposed by longer works. They can be a good writing exercise to help playwrights improve their technique, ability to synthesize, sense of humor, and ingenuity.
Opportunities: They can offer playwrights many opportunities for exposure, recognition, and remuneration since there are numerous festivals, competitions, publications, and platforms dedicated to this form constantly seeking new works and authors. Also, 10 minute play competitions can be a good showcase for playwrights to display their talent and potential and establish contacts and collaborations with other industry professionals.
Flexibility: They offer theater companies a lot of flexibility and adaptability since they can be performed in different spaces with different resources, audiences, and objectives. Additionally, festivals dedicated to this type of play can include several works that can be combined and varied according to each occasion’s preferences and needs.
Profitability: 10 minute play submissions offer theater companies profitability and efficiency since they can be produced and staged with a low budget, low risk, and high return. Also, they can attract and retain a broad and diverse audience seeking different, accessible, fun, and varied theatrical offerings.
Writing this type of play also has some disadvantages or challenges for playwrights, which must be taken into account when writing one. Some of these disadvantages are:
Competition: 10 minute play contests involve a lot of competition among playwrights. The fact that a writer can churn out a number of these in a much shorter time span means festivals find themselves with a deluge of these submittals. Playwrights must strive to create works that stand out for their originality, quality, and effectiveness, and that adapt to the criteria and expectations of the organizers and judges.
Limitation: These plays are a major constraint for playwrights, as they must be confined to a very limited space and time, which can restrict their artistic freedom and expression. Playwrights have to give up some elements or aspects that could enrich their work, such as character development, historical or social context, psychological or philosophical depth, or the complexity of the plot.
Many 10 minute play submissions have led to high-quality and successful works that have been recognized and awarded in different festivals and competitions. Some examples of famous works are:
Sure Thing, by David Ives: This play is a romantic comedy that shows the encounter between a man and a woman in a café, and explores the different possibilities and consequences of their responses, using a bell that restarts the conversation every time there is a rejection or mistake. The play is an example of how to use humor, rhythm, and wit to create a fun and surprising plot.
The Philadelphia, also by David Ives: This is an absurd comedy that presents three friends meeting in a restaurant, discovering that each is trapped in a surreal situation corresponding to the name of a city: the one in Philadelphia cannot get what he wants, the one in Los Angeles does not understand anything that is happening, and the one in New York has to deal with aggression and violence. The play is an example of using imagination, irony, and criticism to create an original and fun plot.
The Zoo Story, by Edward Albee: This is an existential drama that narrates the encounter between a middle-class man and a vagabond on a bench in Central Park, showing the contrast between their lives, values, and worldviews, leading to a violent and tragic outcome. The play is an example of using dialogue, conflict, and tension to create a deep and moving plot.
Writing these plays can be a challenge and an opportunity for playwrights, as well as an ordeal to make them attractive and of high quality. To this end, a series of recommendations must be taken into account in order to create a good play that meets these characteristics. Some of these recommendations are:
● Choose a theme or idea that is interesting, relevant, and can be developed in 10 minutes, without leaving loose ends or forcing the ending.
● Create characters that are believable, interesting, and complex, with a clear motivation and goal that drives them to act, who come into conflict with each other or with the environment, and who evolve or change throughout the work.
● Use a setting that is easy to set up and dismantle, related to the theme and tone of the work, influences the action and the characters, and has a dramatic function.
● Write dialogue that is natural, fluid, and reveals the personality, mood, and intentions of the characters, advances the action, and generates interest and expectation in the audience.
● Look for a turning point or climax that surprises the audience and gives meaning to the story, is consistent with the development of the work, and has an emotional or intellectual impact.
● Review and revise the work, eliminating anything unnecessary, redundant, or inconsistent, and improving everything possible, both in content and form.
10 minute plays are a brief and dynamic theatrical form that has become popular in recent decades, offering many advantages and opportunities for playwrights and theater companies. It requires a lot of creativity, skill, and precision, allowing exploration of different genres, styles, themes, characters, settings, and plots in a very limited space and time. These plays are a form of artistic expression that seeks to capture the audience’s attention from the very beginning, offering an intense, fun, and varied experience that makes them think or feel something.