By Fredric Dannen
Death knocks. An elderly man and woman open the door to the Grim Reaper, black-hooded and wielding a scythe. The couple believes their guest is a magazine salesman carrying a “shepherd’s thingy.” Or maybe a Jehovah’s Witness. For the Reaper, whose visitations are supposed to instill terror, nothing goes right in this household because his portentous utterances literally fall on deaf ears. The man and woman are severely hearing impaired.
This is the premise of Dean Bevan’s “Grim Reaper,” one of six short works that comprise the 2023 edition of Diez Minutos, a showcase of 10-minute plays presented at the San Miguel Playhouse, for a run of 10 performances between March 8 and March 19. Presentations of 10-minute plays have been a staple of community and professional theater for the past 20 years. The form arrived in San Miguel in 2013 as Diez Minutos, and the show is celebrating its tenth anniversary, though its last outing, in March 2020, was cut short by the pandemic.
The 10-minute form may seem limiting, but in the right hands a story can unfold in the time it takes to cook a hardboiled egg, and still feel complete. One of the virtues of the 10-minute play is the near necessity to begin it in medias res–in the midst of the action.
The plays selected for Diez Minutos tend to be comedic, and this year all six offerings fit that description. In addition to “Grim Reaper,” which features Brian Monroe, Peggy Powell, and Tasha Paley, this year’s selections include:
“The Woman Who Wanted Her Husband,” by Rich Orloff, adapted from a play by Ferenc Molnár, with Clara Dunham and Carole Shor. A jealous wife, married to a lawyer representing a glamorous actress, is convinced the actress has stolen the husband’s affections, and demands his return.
“Jacques of the Night,” by Hugh MacKay, featuring Gerri Baruch, Richard Fink, and Peggy Powell. Felled by a frying pan when he breaks into a woman’s apartment, a French jewel thief is less upset over being caught than he is by the woman’s indifference to his stature as an international criminal.
“Coming to Town,” by Keith Whalen, with Anne Campbell, Gene Harvey, and Blu McKelvain. The parents of a 35-year-old figure it’s time to tell their son the truth about the existence of Santa Claus.
Susan Rushton and Gene Harvey star in Mark Saunders’ “In or Out?” A deceased man must tell a celestial clerk whether he wants to remain in the Afterlife or be reincarnated into the animal kingdom–and he has to decide on the spot.
In “Funeral Arrangements,” by David Fleisher, a mortuary employee gives the hard sell to a wife whose husband is very much alive. The discount packages start to tempt the wife in quite the wrong way. Carole Schor and Tasha Paley star.
The address of the San Miguel Playhouse is Avenida Independencia 82. Performances of Diez Minutos are Wednesdays through Sundays, March 8-12, and March 15-19. All shows are at 7pm, except for the Sunday performances, which are 1pm matinees.
Tickets to all shows are 500 pesos for the center section and 400 pesos for the side sections, and may be purchased online at boletocity.com or at the door an hour before each show.
