THEATRE + COMEDY

Scriptwriters/Houston will be presenting its 21st Annual TEN by TEN Play Showcase at Country Playhouse, 12802 Queensbury Ln, Houston, TX on August 25-28, 2011. This event features 10 new ten-minute plays by 10 Houston area playwrights.

The plays feature a little bit of everything from urban legend to hard decisions to death to bathroom humor--so there is something for everyone!

The plays include:

"Coming Home" by Aaron Alon and directed by Steve Carpentier
An adopted man returns with his partner to the shabby hotel room where he has recently learned he was conceived, in hopes of coming to grips with his origins.

"A Discussion of the 'L' Word" by Miriam Friedman and directed by Laura Schlecht
In this comedy, with serious undertones, a couple in their 30’s burst into a discussion of Love, without once saying the word.

"Isn’t It Geomantic" by John Kaiser and directed by Michael Steinbach
At an Alaskan airport, a tourist is caught smuggling stones as souvenirs, as a baggage inspector tries to make him understand how much is really at stake, viewed from a vaster perspective.

"Mary and the Dumpster, A Love Story" by Dennis Porsnuk and directed by Jim Jackubek
Mary and Leon have been married for several years. But feeling the sizzle has gone, Mary asks her husband about having an affair. Leon proposes a way to bring them to common ground.

"Montezuma and Me" by Lauren Tunnell & Kris Verdeyen and directed by Elvin Moriarty
A couple’s new marriage is put to the test when the husband contracts Montezuma’s revenge during their honeymoon trip.

"The Prize Surprise" by Beverly Hutchison and directed by Jillian Nolan
A woman tries to get movie times by phone while her boyfriend readies himself for their date. The automated voice gives her answers which become increasingly bizarre and funny and threatening.

"Strangers" by Raymond Terry and directed by Debra Schultz
Two guys are introduced by a seasoned bartender, which leads to a rare “man-sharing” of emotions and desires and ultimately leaves only one question unanswered.

"The Surgeon General’s Warning" by Joe Barnes and directed by Pressley Giles
In this black comedy, Louise, Joe and Mattie are patients awaiting death in a downscale hospice. They find fleeting comfort in remembering the pleasures of the very thing killing them: cigarettes.

"A Tribute from the Guest House above the Garage" by Steve Stewart and directed by Nicholas Garelick
A young man moves in to his parents’ guest house after losing his job. He and his friend get stoned and reflect on life until Dad comes in to hurry them along to the grandfather’s funeral.

"Where the Truth Lies" by Michael Weems and directed by James Reed
A tale of a mysterious man who turns the lives of men upside down—they lose sleep, gain weight, and makes their hair turn white. He is “The Baby Maker,” the ally of the biological clock of women.