The Ten-Minute Play: Original, Relevant & Edgy

Welcome to an exciting and emerging form of theatre: The ten-minute play. Some call it the haiku of theatre; short, thought-provoking plays.  Experience a night of ten-minute plays and get ready for some great drama and humour.  You will soon understand why so many are calling this high-octane entertainment for today's demanding audiences.  

As an audience member, if you don't connect with the ten-minute play you're watching, another play will. Since ten-minute plays are produced in groupings of five to eight plays, audiences experience a range of perspectives in a single sitting - from the serious, to the absurd, and everything in between.

InspiraTO Festival's mission is to produce quality ten-minute plays that engage audiences and inspires them to participate in live theatre. 

InspiraTO's vision is to be Canada's leading ten-minute play festival for new and emerging artists.  The InspiraTO Festival encourages artists to explore and create in this new art form.      

About Theatre Inspirato
Theatre Inspirato was formed in 2003 to encourage people to participate in live theatre by fostering creativity in drama.

In searching for practice scenes, I came across a genre in theatre I never heard of before: The ten-minute play.  At first I felt this was a new gimmick that was too short to have any merit.   After some careful investigation I realized how this form of theatre was growing and being taken seriously with such festivals such as the Short & Sweet Festival in Australia and the Humana Festival in the States which receive over a 1,000 script submissions a year!  The real deal breaker, however, was reading some inspiring ten-minute plays. I was hooked. 

A ten-minute play is a compact play, with a beginning, middle and an end.  These plays are similar to full-length ones, with conflict, distinctive characters and high stakes. Above all, every line of dialogue is crucial.  Ask anyone who has seen a great ten-minute play and they will tell you that so much can happen in ten-minutes. Ask anyone who has written a quality ten-minute play and they will tell you how much work goes into this art form.

We launched Toronto's first Ten-Minute Play festival with 6 ten-minute plays over a weekend at the intimate Alchemy Studio Theatre in 2006. It was a perfect venue for a new theatre festival.  

With some experience under our belt we launched our second season in 2007 and had an overwhelming 200 play submissions and produced 14 plays in two weeks.  Beginning with our third season we decided to have a theme for each season based on "one of the senses."  Our theme for the 3^rd Inspirato festival was based on "smell/scent", our body's highest survival sense.  We had 220 play submissions and produced 15 plays that season. 

The reaction from audiences surpassed our expectations (last year there were three sold out shows). As awareness grows and word spreads the festival promises to be a hit in the coming years.   

Because of the growth of the festival, we had moved the venue to Lorraine Kimsa's Studio Theatre in Toronto's King St. East historic district.   This year's festival theme was on "taste". We are set to give even more value as we present 10 ten-minute plays in one evening.  

For its 5^th season, the InspiraTO Festival had 330 play submissions and produced 16 ten-minute plays.  We found a home at the Alumnae Theatre, Mainstage. The OAC project grant was instrumental in allowing the festival to take this important step forward.

InspiraTO 2010 had two sets of ten-minute plays that were sub-themes on the overall theme of "touch": blueTouch plays, plays that were mysterious and intriguing and redTouch plays, plays that were passionate and expressive. There was a great cross section of plays. Audiences raved about the format. This was their chance to see two different groups of plays, with opportunities to vote for their favourite plays, which were showcased at the final performance along with the winning play of the Ten Day Playwriting Contest - a new contest that generated more interest in the Festival.  

Our partnership with Pat the Dog allowed two original plays to be dramaturged by established playwright, Vern Thiessen and up-and-coming playwright, Adam Cowart. Pat the Dog also helped generate more exposure for the Festival to the Canadian playwriting community.

What started as a small group of people exploring theatre, art and creativity has mushroomed into a vibrant and exciting event. Many people have come to lend a hand and truly made the idea a reality.   Some people who helped out must have been sent by "angels" as their timing was uncanny.  Scroll down to Past Productions to see all those who have been involved.

My gratitude extends to all those who have been involved and to the audience members who have come out to support us.  A million times thank you.

Keep inspiring us.  

Dominik

Dominik Loncar 

Theatre Inspirato

The Ten-Minute Play:

Perfect for the YouTube Generation

In an era of YouTube, instant information and short attention spans, people can be challenged to sit through two hours of drama.

The question is how to excite audiences who don't usually bother with theatre? The solution: The ten-minute play.

A ten-minute play is a compact play, with a beginning, middle and an end. This is not a Saturday Night sketch comedy or scene study. A lot can happen in ten minutes. These plays are similar to full-length ones, with conflict, distinctive characters and high stakes.  Above all, every line of dialogue is crucial.  This growing genre is referred to as the haiku of theatre. 

As an audience member, if you don't connect with the ten-minute play you're watching, another play will. Since ten-minute plays are produced in groupings of five to eight plays, audiences experience a range of perspectives in a single sitting - from the serious, to the absurd, and everything in between.

Producing more plays in one night allows a theatre company to risk content that they couldn't if they were staging a single play.

Ten-Minute Play festivals have been sprouting up all over the States. In Canada this is a relatively new phenomenon.    

Playwrights love it because they get a chance to test drive their creativity with greater odds of getting their plays produced. Actors love it because it offers them more opportunities to practice their craft. Audiences love it because they feel they are getting their monies worth; they don't have to risk investing their time and money on one play.

This does not, nor should not, replace the experience of a full length play.  However, as the entertainment industry clamours for our attention, catching a night of thought-provoking drama may be on the bottom of someone's list. The ten-minute play acts as a wake up call to the power of the stage.  

Past Productions

The 5th Annual InspiraTO Festival  ---  Alumnae Theatre, Mainstage, Toronto; June 3-13, 2010

Key supporter:

blueTouch Plays.  Mysterious and intriguing.  8 ten-minute plays in one show: Poke by Angela Froese Directed by Miranda Laurence. Cast:  Bruce Williamson, Farah Farah.  A Map of Somewhere Only We Know by Adam Cowart. Directed by Dan Daley. Cast:  Vanessa Quagliara, Jesse Watts. Stage Manager: Ana-Marija Stojic. Bungalow by Vern Thiessen. Directed by Dominik Loncar. Cast: Thomas Daly, Bryan Jones. Close Enough by Matt Haldeman (People's Choice Award). Directed by Andreja Kovac. Cast: Daniel Clark, Christina Lazarou. The Body Electric by Dominik Loncar. Directed by Mirelle Blassnig. Cast: Tracey Beltrano, Jason Siks.  Push by Adam Bradley. Directed by Tommy Taylor. Cast: Sedina Fiati, Michael McLeister.  A Simple Snow by Elaine Romero (INSPIRATO PLAYWRITING CONTEST WINNER). Directed by Megan Watson. Cast:  Kaitlyn Riordan, Thom Stoneman. Bag of Bones by John Weagly.  Directed by Meg Gennings. Cast: Melanie Hrymak, Laura Alderson.  

redTouch Plays.  Passionate and expressive.  8 ten-minute plays in one show: Twice as Bright by Daniel Heath. Directed by Erin O'Hanley. Cast: Emily Stang, Jake Rathgeber. Stay by Crystal Wood. Directed by Adrian Parks. Cast: Valarie McKee, Tino Wilson. Touch of Beauty by Ann Snead. Directed by Brad Loghrin. Cast: Patricia Garnett-Smith, Omar Sheikh.  Stupid, and Terrible by Shannon Murdoch. Directed by Adam Bradley. Cast: Kim Persona, Stephanie Ros, Ese Atawo. Mister Baxter by Kate Fenton. Directed by Adam Seybold. Cast: Stephanie Seaton, Jeffrey Simlett, Justin Darmanin, Riley Gilchrist.  Ledge by William Borden. Directed by Viktorija Kovac. Cast: Cary West, Ashlie White. Thin Air by Tom Coash. Directed by  A.J. Richardson. Cast: Lisa Rivers.  The Kiss by Mark Harvey Levine (People's Choice Award).  Directed by Daniela Mazic. Cast: Blair Kay, Daniel Ostropolec.

Two ten-minute plays were commissioned by InspiraTO and dramaturged by Lisa O'Connell, Artistic Director, Pat the Dog.  InspiraTO's Comminssioned by an Established Playwright:  Bungalow by Vern Thiessen (Governor General's Literary Award). InspiraTO's Commissioned Play by an Emerging Playwright: A Map of Somewhere Only We Know by Adam Cowart.

The 5th InspiraTO Ten Day Playwriting Contest winner: Sandwich by Tommy Taylor. 2nd prize: Touched by Victoria Goring.  3rd prize: The Magnificent Purple by Christopher Mastropietro & Eli Jenkins.  

5th InspiraTO Production Team: Dominik Loncar, Artistic Director & Producer; Lumir Hladik, Associate Director & Set Designer; Bryan Batty, Lighting Designer; Lynda Yearwood, Production Stage Manager; Karen Elizabeth McMichael, Assistant Stage Manager;  David Ing, Lighting Technician & Assistant Lighting Designer; Mimi Osvath, Sound Technician; Tiffany MacRae & Alanah King, Backstage Assistants & Make up; Angus Barlow, Technical Coordinator; Sylvana LaSelva, Front of House Manager; Front of House: Linde Weedman, Gabriella LaCoya, Lucia LaCoya, Doreen, Barbara. Music by Volcano Playground. Photography by Nikola Bilic Photography. Mark Spence, In-house Carpenter. 

Play Selection Committee; Lisa O'Connell, Molly Thom, Daniela Mazic, Lumir Hladik & Dominik Loncar. 

Ten Day Playwriting Contest Jury: Lisa O'Connell, Tracey Beltrano & Dominik Loncar,

Festival partner:

Supporters:

TMX/Equicom, The Lowe-Martin Group, BlueSuit Bookkeeping Ltd, Toronto Business Development Centre.

InspiraTO Festival -- 4rd Annual Toronto Ten-Minute Festival
June 4-13, 2009,   Lorraine Kimsa Studio Theatre, Toronto

Play Selection Committee; Shirley Barrie, Molly Thom, Daniela Mazic & Dominik Loncar. 

A SIMPLE QUESTION by Michael Wilmot. Directed by Victoria Shepherd. Cast: Ned Petrie, Lindsey Alston.  JALAPEÑO COUGH SYRUP by Albert Pergande.  Directed by Cydney Penner. Cast: Ingrid Wirsig, Chris Reid-Geisler. SAY NO MORE by Michael Kimball.  Directed by Dominik Loncar. Cast: Tracey Beltrano, Mark Augustine, Janine John, Mike Charles.  THE PIANO by Amy Fox. Directed by Jaclynn Tanner. Cast: Ese Atawo, Adrian Sheperd-Gawinski, Sara Mitich. HUMAN BEANS by Cerise de Gelder. Directed by Meg Gennings. Cast: Cary West, Pauline Wu, Nathan Callens, Jimmy King. FIFTY YEARS HUNGRY by Daniel Heath. Directed by Brian Crosby. Cast: Natalie Feheregyhazi, Laura Alderson. PURITY & THE PRINCE by Robin Rice Lichtig. Directed by Richard Carter. Cast: Josh Boychuk, Kimberly Persona, Harpeet Bains. WHILE ISABELLE BLEEDS by Sasha Semienchuk. Directed by Liz Bragg. Cast: Brian Dickson, Anne Shepherd. ATOMIC FIREBALL by Dominik Loncar.  Directed by Eve Kinizo (June 4-6). Directed by Dominik Loncar (June 11-13).  Cast: Irene Theocharis, Kasia Dyszkiewicz, Lauren Maykut.  CONTEST WINNER: IN PARIS YOU WILL FIND MANY BAQUETTES BUT ONLY ONE TRUE LOVE by Michael Lew. (By special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. www. playscripts.com). Directed by Tommy Taylor. Cast: Adam Bradley, Mila Beaudoin, Elissa Ciullo.

THE PRODUCTION TEAM:    Dominik Loncar, Producer & Artistic Director;  Stevie Baker, Production Stage Manager;  Kate Duncan, Assistant Stage Manager; Lance Fox, Production Assistant; Molly Thom, Shirley Barrie, Daniela Mazic & Dominik Loncar, Play Selection Committee; Lumir Hladik, Creative Consultant/ Web Design; Kate Duncan, Program Design;  silverpointmediainc. ,video trailer;  Zmak Photography, Photography; Erika Rueter, STAF,  Publicity/ Marketing.

Thank you to Jeff Cowan at LKTYP.

A special thank you to Lumir Hladik.

InspiraTO Festival -- 3rd Annual Toronto Ten-Minute Festival
May 1-10, 2008,   Alchemy Theatre, Toronto

Directors: Danielle Capretti, Jennie Grimard, Bruce Williamson, Kim Harrington Meg Gennings, Michael Orlando, Kevin Shaver, Jimi Shlag.

Cast: Shabnam Munjal, Rod McTaggart, Scott Gorman, Nathan Callens, Emily Andrews, Michael Stewart, Scott Chacko, Frank Von, Raffaele Ciampaglia, Tyson James, Steve Schwabl, Erica Vella, Jaclyn Tanner, Tommy Boston, Julie Jarrett, Tia Brazda, Meghan J. Bower.

Production: Production Stage Manager: Esther Tusa; Lighting & Sound Technician; Ryan Holliday; Front of House: Linde Weedman, John Bourke; Web/postcard design: Lumir Hladik; Photographer (action pics): Bill Michelson; Lighting set-up: Simon Michellepis; Stage Manager (Pitter-Patter): Amy Williamson; Music (set changes): Dalma Adria; Music (plays): Tango De Manzana & Dance of Deception by Kevin MacLeod (http://www.incompetech.com/).

WEEK 2: Janice and the Pink Anger by Ann McDougall, Ginger by Robin Pond, The Gardener by Joe Musso, The Beekeeper by David Starkey, Earth's Potion by Dominik Loncar, A Toxic Fairytale by Elena Naskova, Furious by Eric Appleton

Directors: Mirelle Blassnig, Charlene Rockwell, Roselie Williamson, Adam Barrett, Pawel Maj, Tim Sweeney, Dominik Loncar

Cast: Anne-Marie Smith, Ken Hall, Edgar Nentwig, Aidan Black-Allen, Stephen Kiely, Alexis Hancey, Dan Nicks, Ben Muir, Aaron Rothermund, Benny Min, David Occhipinti, Danielle Nicole, Monica Nunes, Lisa Rivers, Stefania Indelicato, John Petitti

Production: Production Stage Manager: Amanda Holder; Lighting & Sound Technician: Acey Rowe; Front of House: Linde Weedman; Web/postcard design: Lumir Hladik; Photographer (action pics): Bill Michelson; Lighting set-up: Simon Michellepis; Stage Manager (The Gardener): Andrew Huisman; Music (set changes): Dalma Adria; Music (plays): Acrobat & Circus (http://www.freeplaymusic.com/), Canon Song by Gasper Barone, Buttercup, I'm a Supergirl by Shonen Knife.

A special thank you to Lumir Hladik.

Artistic Director & Producer: Dominik Loncar

***  The Alchemy Studio Theatre was a perfect venue for a new up-start theatre festival: intimate, affordable with up-to-the minute technology.  This venue helped us develop our roots in our first three seasons and has allowed us to "fly" to a larger venue.  It was sad to see its doors close at  the end of 2008.   To the director and creator of the Alchemy Studio Theatre, Simon Michellepis, a very big thank you.             

Trapped Spaces -- 2nd Annual Toronto Ten-Minute Festival
June 7 -16, 2007, Alchemy Theatre, Toronto

WEEK 1: Fudged by Susan Elizabeth Megson; Female Dogs by Barbara Lindsay; Guilty by Writing by Miranda Laurence; Curfew by Arthur Jolly; Don't Look by Lynn Snyder; Queen Bee Syndrome by Tom Sime; Up On The Roof by Mark Harvey Levine.

Directors: Mirelle Blassnig, Alexandra Riccio, Nicole Rubacha, Jason Scheide, Pawel Maj, Meghan Gennings & Adam Barrett.

Cast: Corine Haan, Luke Slade, Kelly-Marie Murtha, Manuela Nudo, Michael Dodds, Valarie McKee, Suzanne Bernier, Irene Theocharis, Steve Schwabl, Meredith Shaw, Allana Reoch, Meredith Heinrich, Erica Vella, Tyson Li.

Production Stage Manager: Michele Stewart; Lighting & Sound Technician; Tohru Kawakami; Front of House: Linde Weedman.

WEEK 2: The Quiet Actor by Steven Schutzman; Moon's Interview by Robin Pond; Bankin' On the Grand by Chris Shaw Swanson; Orphan Train by Julie Tosh; Out by Ian Walker; Half Moon Half Sun by Dominik Loncar; The Growth by Chris Shaw Swanson.

Directors: Samantha Stasiuk, Chuck Harvey, Jimi Shlag, Jordan Dibe, Craig Downton, Eve Kinizo, Kevin Shaver.

Cast: Lisa Metzger, Tracey Beltrano, Ken Hall, Ingrid Wirsig, Elliot Shermet, Brian Dickson, Tia Brazda, Patrice Henry, CJ Reader, Nathan Callens, Jayne Collins, Jon DeSantis, Brian Mifsud, Kate Lai, Julie Jarrett, Tommy Bostn, Janice Peters.

Production Stage Manager: Alex Whyte; Lighting & Sound Technician: Negar Khalvati; Front of House: Linde Weedman. A thank you to Chuck Harvey & his wife for coordinating the Friday Performance.

A thank you to Simon Michellepis for his advice and setting up the lighting and sound system.

A special thank you to Jason Scheide.

Artistic Director & Producer: Dominik Loncar

Bitter Sauce -- 1^st Annual Toronto Ten-Minute Festival
June 9 & 10, 2006, Alchemy Theatre, Toronto

Coffee or Tea by Chuck Harvey; The Marionette & the Puppeteer by Ali Shamlou; Living the Dream by Robert Bruce; Substitution, Blueberry Pie and Sleepwalking by Dominik Loncar.

Directors: Dominik Loncar, Farah Farah, Valarie McKee, Chuck Harvey, Luciana Galli & Jason Scheide.

Cast: Margaret MacLeod, Farah Farah, Scott Chacko, Jason Scheide, Andrew Moyes, Valarie McKee, Jennifer Roach, Suzanne Godbehere, Steve Schwabl, Luciana Galli, Kerrie Lamb, Miranda Laurence, David Goldberg, Christopher Simm & Laura Alderson.

Production Stage Manager: Michele Stewart, Lighting & Sound Technician: Linde Weedman, Front of House: Mirelle Blassnig, Rudhra Persad, Aali Ali.

A special thank you to Michele Stewart.

Artistic Director & Producer: Dominik Loncar

The Glory Café by Dominik Loncar
A play about the 2003 blackout
May 6 & 7, 2005, Walmer Theatre Centre, Toronto
Directed by Dominik Loncar

Cast: Robert Bruce, Farah Farah, Luciana Galli, Suzanne Godbehere, Miranda Laurence, Patrick Rheins & Valarie McKee.

Lighting Design: Dale Whittington; Lighting Technician; Inna Povrchuk; Sound Technician: Linde Weedman; Sound Recording: Ruth Ward; Front of House: Laurie Konkle, Wallie Seto.

A special thank you to Dale Wittington, Inna Povarchuk & Linde Weedman

Artistic Director & Producer: Dominik Loncar

Theatre Inspirato was launched in 2003, with Dominik Loncar as Artistic Director, offering acting/improv workshops and a performance in 2004. A great big thank you goes to the inaugural Theatre Inspirato troupe of 2003-2004: Farah Farah, Suzanne Godbehere, Luciana Galli, Miranda Laurence, Valarie McKee & David Goldberg.

A special thank you to Joe Ward.

Thanks to all those Inspiratos who made our productions a success.