10-Minute Play Festival

2024 CONTEST SUBMISSIONS:

Applications for the 2024 Season Are Closed.
Thank you to everyone who submitted.
Plays Selected will be Announced May 1, 2024
CONTACT: Monica DiBiasio at
monicad@durangoarts.org

TO PURCHASE TICKETS:

Festival Performances; May 24th, 25th @ 7:30pm and May 26th @ 2pm

Tickets are also available in-person at the Durango Arts Center.

Tuesday-Saturday, 12pm-6pm

For questions or more information, call:
(970) 259-2606

Welcome Playwrights, to the Durango Arts Center’s 14th Annual 10 minute Play Festival!
We have changed our rules for submissions and our template for the festival this year, please read on for
your opportunity to have your play staged by professional actors and directors at our stellar theater in
Durango, CO.

Festival is May 31 and June 1 & 2, 2024

Tickets can be purchased here.

The Plays for our 14th Annual 10 minute play Festival are chosen!
Thank you to each and every playwright that submitted one or more of the 300 plays we received. You all made the job of our Play Readers very difficult, as the writing overall was excellent! Therefore, the choices took a while to decide! If you aren’t among the 8 chosen, we hope you will submit again next year!
Here are the 8 Plays being produced this year:

The Springboard, or: What a Play Is or Can Be or Will Be, or: a Thank-You Note to Matthew Weaver
Written by: Steven G. Martin Directed by: Wendy Ludgewait
When a playwright, plagued by harsh critiques from the vocal few, receives an affirmation about his scripts, he embarks upon an adventure to explore what theatrical plays can be and how they can reach people.

Fair Enough
Written by: Whitney Ryan Garrity Directed by: Ashton Root
As couple Ted and Devon embark on a trip to Salinas on a rainy night, they discuss the third person traveling with them and his mysterious passing.

tell me a story
Written by: Angele Maraj Directed by: Primrose Bloom
To escape a terror beyond the threshold, a mother and child weave a world of words, revealing how stories become our lifeline in the face of fear and desperation.

The Thread Count in Hades
Written by: Steven Korbar Directed by: Holdon Grace
The gatekeeper of Hades is confronted with two of humanity’s most obnoxious lost souls.

It Is What It Is
Written by:Craig Gustafson Directed by: Monica DiBiasio
A pleasant suburban housewife receives a visit from the Homeowners Association hit lady.

MAN FROM MAYHEM
Written by: Tom Cavanaugh Directed by: Ben Dukeminier
A female street musician meets the Man from Mayhem on a corner and learns about life and Quantum Physics!

SOMETHING BORROWED
Written by: Laurie Allen Directed by: Ashton Root
When Edith finds out what her best friend borrowed from her neighbor, she must do everything she can to stop Bessie Mae from
going forward with her insane idea! If not stopped, Bessie Mae’s life as she knows it will end!

The Orb
Written by: Philip Raymond Brown Directed by: Oliver Kennedy
A satirical play in which rival TV newscasters and their guests comically grapple with the mayhem resulting from the appearance of
a mysterious glowing orb.

Beginning in January of each year, DURANGO ARTS REPERTORY THEATER (DART) at the Durango
Arts Center (DAC) invites playwrights from around the world to submit original 10-Minute plays. The plays go through a tiered reading process (author names and hometowns are kept anonymous from the
judges). The top 10 plays will be given a full production and playwrights will receive a royalty of $100 for a 3 show weekend.

Application Requirements

● Submission fee: We will no longer charge fees for submissions!
● Subject matter: Plays should reflect our Season Theme. Our 2024 Season is MYSTERY, MURDER and MAYHEM!
● Each play should include two to six characters, with minimal props, costumes and set requirements.
● Submissions must be in .docx or .pdf format.
● The play, exclusive of title and cast description pages, must be no more than ten pages.
DO NOT PUT AUTHOR’S NAME, ADDRESS, OR ANY CONTACT INFORMATION ON ANY PAGE OF SCRIPT.
● Playwrights may submit more than one play.
● Only accepting first 300 submissions

*Submissions for 2024 are closed.

Eligibility Criteria: Only original plays, never before produced, are eligible.
**

HISTORY OF THE 10-MINUTE PLAY

10-minute plays were introduced by the Actors Theatre of Louisville in 1977 when the genre was promoted as part of the Humana Festival of New American Plays. Often referred to as the “haiku of the American stage,” as well as “a streak of theatrical lightning,” 10-minute plays have become an engaging and popular genre for today’s audiences and playwrights.

SPONSORS

DAC is grateful to receive support from the Ballantine Family Fund and Durango Friends of the Arts, as well as passionate local individuals who engage in sponsorship of the festival each year.

2023 Winners

Grand Prize Winner:

Shhh! By Kristin Hanratty Grand Rapids, MI

People’s Choice Winner:

SNACKS by Keven Broccoli Johnston, RI

Runners-Up:

SORRY… by Barbara Anderson San Carlos, CA

Speed Dating by Richard Strickland Stoughton, MA

The Art of Ketchup and Dandelions by Shawn Henry Davidson, NC

Congratulations!

2022 Winners

There Goes the Neighborhood by Marjorie Williamson, Saint Louis, MO: Grand Prize Winner: $500
Other Priorities by Leslie Sanderson, Bristol, NH: People’s Choice Winner: $100
For Better, For Worse by Dan Borengasser, Springdale, AR: Runner-up: $25
An Hour’s Worth by Carl Williams, Houston, TX: Runner-up: $25
She’ll Have What He’s Having by Stephen Stewart, Sugar Land, TX: Runner-up: $25

2022 Finalists:

Underneath by Dana Hall, Orland Park, IL

Drip Coffee by Stephanie Phelan, Rockville, Maryland 

Just Plain Ordinary by Mandy Mikulencak, Durango, CO

Guestbook by Patty Veconi Brooklyn, NY

Stubbed Heart and Toes by Mike Solomonson, Snowflake, AZ

2021 Winners

All’s Will That Ends Will by Barry Wood (Lincolnshire, UK)

Let’s Talk Sex by Robin Rice (New York, NY)

Playbill for the 2020/21 10 Minute Play Festival, October 15-17, 2021

All’s Will That Ends Will by Barry Wood (Lincolnshire, UK)

The Booth by Stephen Olson (Reseda, CA)

The Colonoscopy and Its Many Teachings by Greg Beattie (Lafayette, CA)

The Deal by Mike McGeever (Bloomingdale, IL)

The Last Deck Chair in the Resort by Lindsey Brown (Auckland, New Zealand)

Let’s Talk Sex by Robin Rice (New York, NY)

Schadenfreude Doesn’t Become You, Babe by Shawn Samuelson Henry (Davidson, NC)

Changes that happened in 2021:

It’s back! BUT…it’s different.

Due to COVID-19, we were unable to produce our 5 winning plays in 2020. We plan to produce them at the end of October this year, in 2021.

In addition, we are now accepting submissions for the 2021 10-minute play contest! The rules are a bit different, however. Plays must be the same length, but there is no entry fee this year. Instead, we ask playwrights to consider donating to DAC. A donation is appreciated but not necessary to have your play considered in the contest. Therefore, DAC is reaching out to our community to find Executive Producers (individuals or corporate) to fund the production of TWO winning plays from this year’s submissions.

Initial reading and ranking/judging of all 2021 submissions was the same as usual. This year 24 readers chose 8 finalists. We will present readings of those plays to a LIVE audience on Friday, June 18th, at 7pm. The live audience will choose the top 5. Those 5 will be uploaded to DAC’s YouTube Channel for online voting through Sunday, June 27th. The 2 plays with the most votes will be produced on the DAC stage October 15th, 16th, and 17th, along with the 5 2020 winners (see below).

2020 10-Minute Play Contest Winners, Runners-up, and Finalists:

Grand Prize Winner: The Booth by Stephen Olson (Reseda, CA)

People’s Choice Winner: Schadenfreude Doesn’t Become You, Babe by Shawn Samuelson Henry (Davidson, NC)

Runner – Up: The Last Deck Chair in the Resort by Lindsey Brown (Auckland, New Zealand)

Runner – Up: The Colonoscopy and Its Many Teachings by Greg Beattie (Lafayette, CA)

Runner – Up: The Deal by Mike McGeever (Bloomingdale, IL)

Finalist: Glitch by Vivian Sorvall (Fairfield, CT)

Finalist: The One Hundred Percent by Bethany Dickens (Windermere, FL)

Finalist: Play-By-Play by Tony Pasqualini (Los Angeles, CA)

2021 ONLINE voting finalists (playwright names withheld)

All’s Will That Ends Will

Baggage

Deus ex Macintosh

Let’s Talk Sex

There’s S’more to Life

2021 Finalists (playwright names withheld)

All’s Will That Ends Will

Baggage

Deus ex Macintosh

Improv

Let’s Talk Sex

North Pole Justice

Plaudite, Amici, Commedia Finita Est

There’s S’more to Life

2019 Contest Finalists

DAC received 120 submissions for the 9th Annual 10-Minute Play Contest.

The top eight finalist plays were presented as readings on Friday, May 31 in the DAC theater with local performers.  Judges selected the Grand Prize Winner for an award of $500 and the audience voted for a People’s Choice Award of $100. The 3 runners-up won $25 and were produced along with the Grand Prize and People’s Choice winners during the festival weekend, October 18-20, 2019.

2019 10-Minute Play Contest Winners

JUST DESSERTS Mike Solomonson, Snowflake, AZ – Grand Prize Winner

SPEED DATING Nedra Roberts, Brookhaven, GA – People’s Choice Award

RING OF TRUTH Marsha Roberts, San Rafael, CA

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE Mike Solomonson, Snowflake, AZ

WAITING FOR GOD-KNOWS-WHAT Mario Rivas, Sherman Oaks, CA

2018 Contest Finalists

DAC received 161 submissions from playwrights–emerging and professional – for the 8th Annual 10-Minute Play Contest.

The top six finalist plays were presented as staged readings on Friday, May 18 in the DAC theater with local performers.  Judges selected the Grand Prize Winner for an award of $500 and the audience voted for a People’s Choice Award of $100.

The festival concluded with productions of all 6 plays the weekend of October 12-14, 2018.

2018 Contest Winners

  • GRAND PRIZE WINNER:  After Her by Elizabeth Suzanne (Los Angeles, CA)
  • PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Transforming Your Life Through Hula-Hoop by Kelly Van Oosbree (Commerce City, CO)
  • These Boots are Made for Hikin’ by Shawn Samuelson Henry (Gross Pointe Park, MI)
  • Good Taste by Bob Kolsby (Brooklyn, NY)
  • The Anonymous Donor by Mark Nutter (New York, NY)
  • The Mudgett Lattice by Rob Walker (Greeley, CO)

2017 Contest Finalists

DAC received 121 submissions from playwrights–emerging and professional – from across North America, as well as England and New Zealand for the 7th Annual 10-Minute Play Contest.

The top five finalist plays were presented as staged readings on Friday, June 2 in the DAC theater with local performers.  Judges selected the Grand Prize Winner for an award of $500 and the audience voted for a People’s Choice Award of $100.

2017 Contest Winners

  • GRAND PRIZE WINNER:  Bondservant by William Orem (Newton, MA)
  • PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Where’s This Train Going? by Bruce Guelden (Winters, CA)
  • The Truth about Spicy Cajun Curry by Erin Glenn-Hash (Lincoln, NE)
  • Crisis of Character by Scott Lummer (Santa Rosa, CA)
  • Good Things by Peter J. Stavros (Louisville, KY)

2016 Contest Finalists

For our 6th Annual 10-Minute Play Contest, DAC received a total of 107 play submissions from playwrights, emerging and professional, from across North America and as far away as New Zealand and Luxembourg; with seven from the Four Corners, including Bayfield and Aztec. A team of 22 community volunteer readers was assembled for the first round of the contest, with, 66 plays moving on to round two and only 18 into the third round before five final plays were selected.

2016 Winners

  • AeNGus & D’Arcy On A Bench in Dublin by CJ Alderton (GRAND PRIZE WINNER)
  • Lust, Greed, and Murder by Matthew Widman (PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD)
  • Fork Food by Letha Mae Dawson
  • The Job Interview by Kristin A. Hanratty
  • Pool Story by Stephen Cooper

2014 Contest Finalists

The Spider in the Room, Wendy Ludgewait – Durango, CO

Maddie is a modern, independent woman who doesn’t have time for men. Sam is a beleaguered Rent-a-Dude who isn’t much of a fan of women. When Maddie rents Sam to rid her house of a renegade spider, it’s on for the continuing war of the sexes.

Wendy Ludgewait is a “born-again” Durangatang with a penchant for scribbling things on napkins, receipts, and the back of her hand when inspiration strikes. By day, she works as an instructional designer for her own company. By night, she is a director/actor/chief cook and bottle washer for Durango’s community theater company, Durango Lively Arts. This is the first time she’s attempted writing a 10-minute play.

TIED for winner for People’s Choice Award:

Bodega, Adam Seidel – Chicago, IL

Bodega centers on an argument between a (Hispanic) father and son over the placement of a new shelf in the family’s Chicago neighborhood, which stirs up deeper issues that neither men anticipate. Bodega is a play about the innate desire for progress and the inevitable gap that grows between generations. 

Adam Seidel is a Milwaukee native who has lived in Chicago the past six years. His plays, long and short, have been read and performed across the country. He is proud to be a company member of Collaboraction Theatre Company in Chicago. 

The Black Bride of Texas, Stephanie Dodd – Boulder, CO

An 80-year-old recent widow escapes her loneliness and patronizing family members by visiting with characters from her collection of Western romance novels. A humorous look at aging, grieving and discovering independence.  

Originally from Nebraska, Stephanie Dodd is a writer, aerialist, actor and musician recently relocated from NYC to Boulder, CO. Over the last two years, her play Hollow received readings in Maine, NYC, and Switzerland. Devil in the Hole, her new aerial country rock musical co-written with Justin Badger was a finalist for the 2012 Resident Artist Program at Mabou Mines. She is a teaching artist, and co-writer of two cabarets, Welcome Home, Hamlet! and Congratulations, Macbeth! 

Other Finalists:

Health Care, Philip Hall – Longboat Key, FL

Set in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, what appears to be about a married couple squabbling is really about nurturing. As couples get older they often find that all the passion and ardor of a relationship cannot surpass the importance of nurturing one in need.

Philip Hall began his theatrical career as an actor right out of school, touring the country in a number of shows. His works (including musicals and plays) have been produced around the country from Washington’s Kennedy Center to California Theatre Center, where his faithful adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was launched worldwide. His published works include the comedies Inside the Department of the Exterior and Customer Service.  He lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with his wife Leslie A. Hall.

Once in a Blue Moon, L.E. Grabowski-Cotton – Memphis, TN

After his girlfriend leaves him, a man walks into a travel agency hoping to find the destination of her plane ticket. He enters a whole new world upon meeting the travel agent, and instead of finding the whereabouts of his girlfriend, he learns some deeper life lessons about change and letting go. 

L.E. Grabowski-Cotton is an award-winning writer and a professional writing coach. She holds an M.F.A. in Playwriting and Screenwriting from Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts, an M.A. in English Literature and a B.A. in Communication from George Mason University. Her written work includes novels, screenplays, poetry, stories, and plays. To learn more about L.E., visit her websites: LEGrabowskiCotton.Com and LauraWritingCoach.Com.

PRESS

October 24, 2019From 10-Minute Plays to a Four-Hour Opera
The Durango Herald
by Judith Reynolds

October 17, 2019A Weekend of Plays On Tap for Durango Arts Center
The Durango Herald
by Katie Chicklinski-Cahill

October 5, 201810-Minute Play Festival Stages Best of the Best
The Durango Herald
by Katie Chicklinski-Cahill

October 13, 2017Durango Arts Center Hosts 7th Annual 10-Minute Play Festival
The Durango Herald
by Judith Reynolds

June 8, 2017Tricksters in only 10-Minutes
The Durango Herald
by Judith Reynolds

June 7, 2017—Durango Arts Center’s 10-minute play staged readings: Scripts and winners in hand
DGO Magazine
by Patty Templeton

October 8, 2015–Comedy and Drama, 10 Minutes at a Time
The Durango Herald
by Judith Reynolds

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