‘10-Minute Comedies’ @ Rover Dramawerks
Gavin Hammerduk is All Talk @ Rover Dramawerks ‘10-Minute Comedies’
—Jan Farrington
Rover Dramawerks in Plano sent the word out far and wide about their 10-Minute Comedies competition—and (as in other years since the event began in 2015) received around 300 blind submissions coming from writers around the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.—plus more entries from Singapore, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, Belgium, Scotland, Romania, and Hungary.
I’ve reviewed and enjoyed this showcase of short comedies before—but somehow, the Class of 2026 feels especially amusing, thanks to a variety of energetic directors and good actors bouncing from story to story—and also, perhaps, because the playwrights’ ideas seemed remarkably diverse and unexpected this year.
Performances run July 30 through August 15th at Plano’s Cox Playhouse in historic downtown Plano. Tickets may be ordered online at https://www.roverdramawerks.com/.
To begin with, kudos to Rover artistic director Carol M. Rice for making it happen (again), and to the people (including the actors) who kept the lineup moving at a fast clip: stage manager Jenny Wood, lighting designer/board op Kenneth Hall, sound designer Robbi Holman, and (earlier in the process) the many “readers” who pitched in to go through the submissions.
AD Carol Rice says: "All nine plays are considered the winners of Rover’s play contest and, in addition to their plays receiving a production in the festival, each playwright receives $150 prize money. One play will also be voted “Best of the Fest” during the run by the audience, and the playwright will receive an additional $100 prize.
Here is the list of the nine winning plays, with directors and cast members—and some short comments on each (and trying hard not to give things away!):
Housewarning Party by Richard Castle (North Hollywood, CA)
Directed by Kevin Westbrook
Artie - Richard Houghton
Raul - Doug Kent
Raven - Meg Steffens
Josh - Geoff Sykes
Quoth the Raven, indeed! Cute occultness occurs as a dad and step-dad (Houghton, Kent) make a first visit to their daughter’s house, way out in the woods, it seems. The daughter (Steffens) and son-in-law (Sykes) don’t seem to be picking up on the Edgar Allen Poe-ness of the place. Or maybe that’s the attraction…for them. A realistic family occasion turned cleverly on its head, and a slightly older generation discovers the younger one may be way stranger than they thought.
It Sounds Like Science by Russell Weeks (Seattle, WA)
Directed by Charlotte Taylor
Dr Sloan - Eric Levy
Chris - Andie Pace
Ar - Audrey Murphy
A very funny primer for English majors looking to snag an actual money-making job. Chris (Pace, hilariously overconfident) is going into a second interview for a highly detailed science job,—while friend Ar (Murphy) somehow winds up hiding in the interview room, helping Chris convince Dr. Sloan (Levy) she’s a keeper. Absurd and improbable—but could Chris’ poetic charm pull it off ?
37 Origami Bees by Philip Middleton Williams (Palmetto Bay, FL)
Directed by Sara Jones
Fred - Ken Schwartz
Johnny - Aidan Fenton
Young teacher Johnny (Fenton) comes to bid farewell to retiring teacher Fred (Schwartz). So, what’s the old guy gonna do with his spare time? The answer is not what Johnny expected. Such a quiet, respectable guy…but is anybody ever, exactly, who you think they are? Fenton’s wide-eyed face mirrors how we’d probably respond, and Schwartz is a hoot as he reveals how long he’s slowly, sensually been “shedding” the teacher’s life. Bumblebees, belts, and furniture stripping are all mentioned in this nicely kooky comedy.
The Moment Before by Samantha Eppes (Cary, NC)
Directed by Heather Roberts
Hero - Brandon Karcher
Villain - Rudy Aguilar
Henchman #1 - Geetha George
Henchman #2 - Lydia Sims
Who are these goobers? A villain (Aguilar) and two henchmen (George, Sims) have dragged a large, lanky, and unconscious man into the room and tied him to a chair. As the drug dose wears off, they plot strategy, each idea sillier than the last, and involving plenty of fake lunging, leering, evil laughs,etc. Silly and fun, but why is it called The Moment Before? All I know is, I wouldn’t want to be there when that Big Guy with the badly tied knots wakes up.
Living Doll by David Golden (Seattle, WA)
Directed by Jon-Paul McGowan
Leo - Geoff Sykes
Jennifer - Andie Pace
Horror comedy as two characters gush and a pristine, vintage “Living Doll” called Cookie, memorabilia from a long-running movie franchise from their childhoods. Jennifer (Pace), who poses for slews of selfies with the doll at her jugular, is (we think) reasonably nuts, but we’ve seen this before. Leo seems like the saner of the two…but we haven’t seen him dance. Brrr, but altogether ooky fun.
Celestial Bank by Rusty Harding (Garland, TX)
Directed by Nancy Pistilli
Dave - Doug Kent
ATM - Camilla Norder
Susan - JoAnn Dodson
Police Officer - Ken Schwartz
Jim - David Keller
Ever since soft-spoken HAL in the movie 2001:A Space Odyssey, I haven’t trusted talking machinery, and I just knew Celestial Bank’s ATM (voiced by Norder) would mean trouble for somebody. This small but chatty outpost of a near-future “bank with a soul” plays her own little game of God, swindling one and gifting another (Kent, Dodson, and Keller play customers), while the police (Schwartz) keep fingers in belt loops and don’t seem to see a thang. I’d whack that boxed-up b***h good, myself.
Gavin Hammerdúk is All Tálk by Richard Lyons Conlon (Wheaton, IL)
Directed by Russell Sims
Gavin Hammerdúk - Eric Levy
Gwendolyn - Laura Sosnowsky
Prof. Ernst Quellenkopf - Richard Houghton
Rachel Burnsdorf - Cecil Powell
Recorded Voices: David “Kiwi” Keller, Geetha George, Brandon Karcher
Someone’s been listening to too much Public Radio—but the results made me snort with laughter, especially as I could totally believe this might happen. Is classical music on the radio getting in the way of your need to show off how damn smart you are? Welcome to WATC, the All-Talk Classical station…where music isn’t allowed, just talking about it, preferably in terms that make ordinary listeners go “huh?” Host Gavin (Levy) is the ultimate in clueless pomposity as he sets off an endless discussion of Béla Bartók’s music. Radio listener Gwendolyn (Sosnowski) pleads to hear her Bartók faves, but is aggressively shut down. A guest professor (Houghton) on the program yammers on; an ever-angrier violinist (Cecil Powell) tries to get a note in; and various other listeners (Keller, George, Karcher) work on Gavin’s last nerve. A very clever (and disturbingly possible) scenario.
Unhealthy Appetites by Steven Korbar (San Juan Capistrano, CA)
Directed by Matt Stepan
Frank - Geoff Sykes
Jerry - Aidan Fenton
Just as we suspected: those holier-than-thou vegans must fall off the wagon once in a while. As on-the-road vegan proselytizers Frank (Sykes) and Jerry (Fenton) tool along in the boonies, they’ve traveled away from the cities too far to find a “good” place to eat. They pass a Wendy’s (“open 24 hours,”), and then there’s a long, twitchy silence. Frank’s a from-birth vegan, Jerry a convert to the cause, so their food memories are maybe not 100% the same. Who’s gonna cave first, or will they keep each other on the path of righteous eating? Again, all I’ll say is that the adjectives in Korbar’s script get juicier and more erotic by the minute. We can predict where this is going, but the dialogue is clever and the acting pulled-back and funny—it gets some great laughs.
My Work Friend's Boyfriend by Lucy Singer (Manchester, UK)
Directed by Laura Jennings
Sophie - Meg Steffens
Katy - Andie Pace
Michael - Eric Levy
A completely normal social situation—two BFFs at a table, Katy (Pace) about to introduce Meg (Steffens) to her new boyfriend (Levy). Happens every day. But within seconds, this plot goes outrageously haywire and stays there. Playwright Singer never lets us catch our breath, and the premise (along with everything the three characters do to fix it) remains hilarious and awkward until the end. By this ninth play, I thought I might be getting a wee bit tired…but then this one closed the evening with a bang.
There’s still two weeks to catch this collection of short comedies—and if you’re a theater person, get a look at some new or familiar local talent as well. Good job, all!
WHEN: July 30-August 15, 2026
WHERE: Cox Playhouse, Plano TX
WEB: https://www.roverdramawerks.com/
