8 Tens @ Eight Festival
Time is of the essence in the next few weeks – don’t miss out on the remaining performances of the 22nd annual 8 Tens @ Eight Play Festival!
The 8 Tens Festival brings together local playwrights, designers, directors, actors and audiences in Santa Cruz through original plays for the stage. Founded by Artistic Director Wilma Marcus Chandler in 1995, the Festival presents 16 short plays presented by the Actors’ Theatre production company. Each performance features 8 ten-minute long plays. There are 2 groups of shows – “A” and “B” nights – rotated over a period of 5 weeks. Although the shows have been running for a few weeks, the repertoire will be on stage through February 5, 2017.
Originating in 1985, the Actors’ Theatre has become well-known in Santa Cruz County and the theater community at large for its productions of classical and contemporary plays, and for presenting new and established works by local, national, and international authors. Since its opening, the company’s 8 Tens Festival has premiered new plays to sold-out audiences, provided creative channels for theater artists, and become a popular resource for playwrights to enhance their skills and promote their craft.
The Festival is the culminating result of an annual short playwriting contest, with opportunities for emerging playwrights from near and far to develop their craft, be supported and show their new works. Scripts are submitted to the Actors’ Theatre from across the country year-round, with the only format criteria being that each play must be 10 minutes or less. The full-length plays provide a microcosmic look at different aspects of the world that are brought to life in unique, unexpected ways on stage.
Over six months starting in July, eight short plays are anonymously selected and awarded by a panel of local judges consisting of writers, directors, and theater experts. The plays are assigned to directors, rehearsed for three months, and developed into complete productions performed by professional actors from the Santa Cruz theater community. The 8 Tens @ Eight Festival consistently sells out and continues to be one of the most popular local theater arts events.
The Actors’ Theatre productions are held in the Center Stage Theater, located in the Santa Cruz Arts Center downtown. In addition to the theater, the Arts Center has a dance space, galleries, and businesses that have supported the presence of local art and provided the public with numerous cultural outlets since 1971.
8 Tens @ Eight Festival
January 6 – February 6, 2017
Tickets sell out fast, buy yours in advance HERE.
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