Actors, writers & directors from ‘The 8x10s (Snappy Name to Come)’ gather for a photo. Courtesy/LALT
Review by KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Everyone has a story to tell. Embedded in the hours that make up a day and all its mundane activities there are tales to tell.
The Los Alamos Little Theatre proves this in its “The 8x10s (Snappy Name to Come)”, which opened last weekend. Eight plays, penned by local and area playwrights, share some great stories; each told in just 10 minutes. From the most conventional circumstances: grocery shopping, baking bread or talking with a friend on a park bench, these playwrights unearthed a treasure trove of narratives – many are funny, one is bittersweet, and all will entertain you.
My personal favorite is Helen Rynaski’s “The Explaining Room”. Two women unexpectedly find themselves in a waiting room to begin their afterlives. All the plays’ sets are extremely sparse, but this one makes the most out of just a few items to convey a stereotypical lobby. There is sterile, nondescript furniture, horrible fluorescent lighting and a recorded, deadpan message that sporadically plays to report that everything will be explained … eventually. In the meantime, the two women – one is older and world-weary while the young one is hopelessly naïve and earnest – wrestle with the decisions they made and what is truly important in life. It is a witty commentary with two very strong performances by Rheta Moazzami and Ashley Lestone.
Another highlight is Charles Langley’s “A Victorian Melodrama”. A teenage bride has doubts about her upcoming marriage to an older man, especially when she is in love with a penniless poet. Some fantastic physical comedy and clever hijinks ensue and again the cast, especially Stacy Buck, really deliver.
This is just the tip of the iceberg; all the plays shine a spotlight on the extraordinariness of the day-to-day. I really like that. “The 8x10s” prove there is always something to discover, to enjoy and to cherish no matter how normal things appear; you just have to take the time – maybe 10 minutes – to look.
Performances of “The 8x10s (Snappy Name to Come)” will be 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 -p.m. Sunday.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or online 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).