The Schrug

The eleventh Boston Theater Marathon was held on May 17, 2009. The BTM consists of 50 ten-minute plays, performed almost without interruption over a ten-hour period. (There is a ten-minute break after every fifth play.) I saw 49 of them. (Sorry, Susan Kosoff. I just couldn’t finish my dinner quick enough to get back for yours.) If this year’s selections are any guide, then playwrights hoping to be selected for this festival might want to consider writing something in one of these categories:

Absurdist Humor: Where familiar themes are found in very unfamiliar situations.

• Ryan Landry, Joan, Joan, Joan and Hitler: Hitler conducts a group therapy session for three Joans: Crawford, Jett, and of Arc.
• Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro, The Second Coming: A pre/post-Apocalyptic tale featuring a half-avian, half-human protagonist.
• Rick Park, Please Report Any Suspicious Activity: A subway rider finds himself in the middle of a spat between two gay dolphins.
• Karmo Sanders, Nesting: A young couple engages in various domestic activities. The title gives us a clue that there is something different about this pair.
• George Spelvin, When No One Comes Calling: A knock on the door. Who is it? Why, a giant talking flower, of course.
• Dana Yeaton, Importees: Baby furniture comes with confusing instructions and an extra part.

Slice of Modern Life (Section A – Serious): Realistic portrayals of and commentaries on the world we live in.

• Laura Crook, But for the Grace of God: Three women at a playground discuss the challenges of motherhood.
• Lydia Diamond, A New Day: College students gather to watch the inauguration of President Obama.
• Vladimir Zelevinsky, St. Cloud: A young woman has a big announcement and a big decision to make.
• Kirsten Greenidge, Annie Desmond Gets a Tattoo: Teenage girls chat as one prepare for an encounter with a permanent marker.
• Tom Coash, Be the Hunter: Two hunting buddies grapple with their commitment to military service.
• Erin Striff, Close Your Eyes: A British tourist prepares to board a flight home with a dead baby hidden under her shirt.
• Dana Biscotti Myskowski, No Skating: A tough-love mother tries to get her son into rehab.
• Ed Bullins, Gone: Late night trouble in a local bar.
• Alan Brody, Abraham and Sarah: A look at the Abraham and Isaac story from Sarah’s perspective. (This was actually a slice of ancient life.)
• Danielle Slepian, Nine Lives: A man sees the vet about his gravely ill cat.
• Melinda Lopez, Sarasota: Two doctors discuss the personal and professional challenges of age.

Slice of Modern Life (Section B – Comical): Comedies of manners, generally set against an unlikely premise.

• Nina Mansfield, Missed Exit: A family is taken in unexpected directions by their car’s navigation system.
• George Sauer, Small Window: A couple of novices plan a restaurant scam.
• William Donnelly, Sugar Glider: A man describes his search for a missing beloved pet.
• Michael J. Grady, Sur la Maison: A jilted restaurant patron experiences the stages of grief.
• John Shea, Mikey D.: It’s a small world; even smaller when everyone has the same name.
• Christopher Lockheardt, Not Funny: A couple continues their petty bickering, even after she stabs him in the gut.

Plays about Playwrights: You don’t have to be a playwright or a theater major to understand these, but you’ll get a lot more of the jokes if you are.

• Robert Brustein, A Purge for a Poetaster: John Marston, having insulted Ben Jonson, seeks shelter in William Shakespeare’s house.
• Ronan Noone, Headbanger: Writer’s block causes Phil to bang his head against the wall. Over and over again.
• John Edward O’Brien, If at First …: In this coffee shop, everyone’s a character.
• William Orem, Trofimov, A Student: A college student bargains with his teacher to avoid failing his Intro to Chekhov class.
• Susan Thompson, Boundless as the Sea: Two Shakespearean actors who can really relate to the roles they’ve played.
• Jonathan Busch, Laying the Smack Down in Cambridge: A frustrated poet makes a Faustian bargain with a mysterious publisher. (OK, this one is about a poet, not a playwright, but close enough.)
• Jack Neary, Talkback: A playwright gets to speak with his audience, to his great regret.

The Poignant Reveal: In which tables are turned in a way that makes you go “Mmmmm.”

• Andrea Fleck Clardy, Safely Assumed: A middle-aged shoplifter shares her secrets with a juvenile offender while waiting for the probation officer.
• Julia Harmon Cain, Last Meal: The baking of an apple pie takes on added significance.
• Edmond Caldwell, The Liquidation of the Cohn Estate: A woman takes a special interest in the items at an estate sale.
• Jeanne Beckwith, The Great Mail Robbery: A young man has his own reasons for stealing a mail truck.
• Gary Garrison, The Sweep: Given a second chance at life, a man tells his friend what to do if he’s not so lucky the next time. (Note: this play really fits in a few different categories.)
• Michael Tooher, The Sentry: A TV news reporter interviews a soldier on a surprising mission.
• Regina Eliot-Ramsey, Family First: A local hero confides to his brother that he’s not looking forward to his moment in the spotlight.
• Holly L. Jensen, Class Act, Version 379: High school students reminisce about a shared experience.
• Israel Horovitz, What Strong Fences Make: At 6:00 am, an Israeli border guard has an unexpected visitor.

The Funny Reveal: In which tables are turned in a way that makes you go “Ha!”

• Scott Malia, The Interview: A young man gets more than he bargained for as he chats up his date’s mother.
• George Brant, Lockdown: A “where are they now” band gets reunited for another gig – by the Army.
• Marisa Smith, The Pre-Nup: A woman walks into a trap set by her dead husband.
• Peter M. Floyd, Perspective: A long-married couple have different takes on a line from a Woody Allen movie, among other things.

Brief Encounters: Where complete strangers (or strangers with a hidden connection) meet.

• Ken Urban, White People: Two very different characters strike up a conversation on a subway train.
• Scott McCrea, Her Eyes: A man becomes obsessed with a woman who has his wife’s eyes – literally.
• Toby Armour, Lifer: A cop on the eve of retirement has to evict a reluctant tenant.
• Patrick Gabridge, Recognition: A woman in town for a conference runs into another woman – one she was hoping never to meet.
• Stephen Faria, Inheriting Cleo: Escaping from his own relative’s funeral, a man connects with a mourner across the hall.
• Paul H. Goodwin, Gwen & Evelyn: A very ill man gets a new caretaker.

I thought there were some very good and some not-as-good entries in each category. That being said, it does seem that some categories were more in tune with my taste in ten-minute plays than others. The comedies – both the comic slices of life and the funny reveals – were the most accessible, whereas many of the serious slices of life and the poignant reveals seemed awfully talky. Although writing comedy is hard, it’s easier to get a quick laugh than a quick lump in the throat. There’s probably a reason why there’s no such thing as “sketch tragedy.” The absurdist plays were hit-and-miss. Some I got and enjoyed; some I thought were a jumbled mess. And the success of the brief encounters, in my mind, depended entirely on the playwrights’ and actors’ ability to create characters worth watching. The stories themselves were not the primary focus here. The plays about writers … well, it’s said that you should write what you know, and as a result there are a LOT of plays written about writers. So the material gets awfully familiar. On the other hand, there’s a lot to be mined from that particular vein.

So that was BTM XI. Time now for me to go write a play: A couple of neurotic writers have a chance encounter on a Ferris Wheel in Hell. Their banter reminds us of our own lives, but as it turns out ….