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Rating: 
Summary: A diverse and enjoyable anthology
Review: "30 Ten-Minute Plays for 3 Actors from Actors Theatre of Louisville's National Ten-Minute Play Contest" is edited by Michael Bigelow Dixon, Amy Wegener, and Stephen Moulds. The book is part of a trio of anthologies of 10-minute plays; one of the other anthologies collects plays for 2 actors, and the third collects plays for 4, 5, or 6 actors.This volume begins with a short introduction that discusses the 10-minute play as a genre. The plays in this anthology are further subdivided into 5 categories: plays for 3 men (3 plays), plays for 3 women (6), plays for 2 men and 1 woman (9), plays for 2 women and 1 man (11), and finally, a single play with gender variability. As a group these plays demonstrate a variety of dramatic techniques and have a diverse assortment of different characters. The plays deal with many different issues: gender relations, ethnic and national identity, violence, ethics, socioeconomic issues, loss, love, superstition, and more. A few of my favorite plays in this book are as follows: "Tango Delta," by Jeffrey Hatcher: about 3 secret service agents on a rooftop mission. "Eating Out," by Marcia Dixcy: 3 women talk about their eating disorders. "Sunday Go to Meetin'," by Shirley Lauro: A Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrant girl experiences a cultural clash in 1905. "Cover," by Jeffrey Sweet: explores the ethics of lying. "Lunchtime," by Rob Marcato: about a tense encounter in a public eating area. And "Arabian Nights," by David Ives: an absurdist comedy about language and interpretation. This is an impressive collection. My only complaint is that there are no author bios (although the brief overall intro notes that these plays are written by American playwrights). A brief sentence or two about each contributor would have, in my opinion, added both interest and educational value to the anthology. Still, it's an excellent volume in a fine trilogy of anthologies.
Rating: 
Summary: A wide range of plays
Review: Three fine books in the Smith & Kraus '30 10-Minutes Plays' series by Michael Dixon, et.al. present winners from the Actors Theatre of Louisville's national 'ten-minute play' contest, provide aspiring students and dramatists with a wide range of plays. These three volumes are divided into plays for 3 Actors (1-57525-278-3), 2 Actors (277-5) and 4, 5 & 6 Actors (279-1). Characters, settings, and details on obtaining performance rights accompany each sketch.
Rating:
Summary: A wide range of plays
Review: Three fine books in the Smith & Kraus '30 10-Minutes Plays' series by Michael Dixon, et.al. present winners from the Actors Theatre of Louisville's national 'ten-minute play' contest, provide aspiring students and dramatists with a wide range of plays. These three volumes are divided into plays for 3 Actors (1-57525-278-3), 2 Actors (277-5) and 4, 5 & 6 Actors (279-1). Characters, settings, and details on obtaining performance rights accompany each sketch.
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