BY KELLY DOLEJSI
Los Alamos Little Theatre
It is time again for Los Alamos’ favorite 10-minute play festival: Los Alamos Little Theatre’s 8x10s. Performances of “The 8x10s (Snappy Name to Come)” will be at 7:30 pm Fridays and Saturdays Jan. 17-18 and Jan 24-25, as well as at 2 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 19 and 26. Please notd that there are two matinees.
Los Alamos Little Theatre (LALT) produces the 8x10s every two years. Preparations for the January show started in August with a solicitation for scripts from local playwrights and finding this year’s group of eight directors.
This year, the production team received a record 29 script submission from playwrights across Northern New Mexico. Eight local directors reviewed them all and selected the scripts that resonated best with them.
“Along with our record 29 scripts, we had a phenomenal turnout for auditions, with several new faces to LALT,” said producer Emily Stark. “Several spreadsheets later, we have a show for you!”
She added that “Los Alamos Little Theatre really puts the ‘community’ in community theater.”
Stark pointed out that the 8x10s are a time-honored tradition for LALT, one that is important to the local performing arts community.
“They offer a low barrier-to-entry for newcomers to performing arts and/or the town,” she said. “This year we have several cast members that are new to the space and we are so thrilled to showcase their talent.”
It also offers a snapshot into the world of directing. This year’s eight directors includes mix of seasoned pros and first-timers that each bring their unique perspective.
For instance, Ken Milder has been a member of LALT for several decades and self-proclaimed “teaching director” who loves to bring an introspective look into character development.
On the flip-side, the show features Matt DeSmith who is making his directorial debut with a “hilariously over-acted melodrama, perfect for the energy he brings when he is onstage as an actor,” Stark said.
Online tickets are available at https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/the-8x10s-snappy-name-to-come. General admission is $20, and students/seniors (with ID) are $16 (use code LALT2025). LALT is offering special pricing for group ticket orders. The group discount is 20% off purchases of four or more tickets (use code 8x10x4). Online ticket sales close an hour before the show but tickets will still be available at the door.
Broadway Bound
Written by Michael Burgan; Directed by Kelly Dolejsi
What happens to actors that die in a theater? What do they think of the traditional ghost light? Do they still have dreams of going to Broadway still? Sam just wants to have the toilet stop overflowing.
A Supermarket Adventure
Written by Christiane Bounds; directed by Ashley Horner
Do you own the shopping cart at the grocers? Can your shopping list be used as evidence? One woman deals with trying to do the shopping while dealing with men. It gets complicated quickly.
How to Bake Bread
Written by Terry Beery; directed by Stacy Buck
One woman’s quest to find the perfect way to make bread pan out, even at high altitude. Beware of puns.
The Writing Lesson
Written by Kelly Dolejsi; directed by Alex DiBranco
Rosetta loves being in the park, working on her stories and looking at the artful stone paths. She is a writer — well that’s what she tells herself, while everyone around her seems to be able to finish and publish their work. Wait, did you hear something?
The Explaining Room
Written by Helen Rynaski; directed by Ken Milder
Sartre said that hell is other people, but what if it’s actually waiting rooms with a holding message? Two women explore their thoughts on life after death.
(Content Note: Talk of suicide)
An Audience of One
Written by John Gustafson; directed by Pat Beck
Best friends Sylvia and Audrey chat in the park about the wonders of choice that comes with retired husbands versus working paramours. What does one do with an idle partner? Surely idle hands aren’t all that bad.
Three by Five
Written by Ryan Parker; directed by Patrick Webb
Friends Alex and Chris decided to hike the Appalachian trail. Alex tries to write a postcard to her dad about the trip, but keeps getting interrupted. Now, where can she post this card? Would you still try to connect with your family if you got separated?
A Victorian Melodrama
Written by Charles Langley; directed by Matt DeSmith
It is universally acknowledged that a widower father must betroth his young daughter to a dastardly villain. Lucy is torn between two loves: dutifulness to her parents, and Berrycroft, a penniless poet. Will the lovers run away, or will Lucy marry the dastard Lord Percy?
(Content Note: Melodramatic suicides)