Cary Theater Hosts 10 Plays About Fortune, Luck and Wealth
Cary, NC – NC 10by10 is back in Cary, with 10 plays, each 10 minutes long, all about fortune and all by North Carolina playwrights.
Ten Different Stories
The Cary Playwrights Forum, together with Carrboro-based OdysseyStage Theatre, brought NC 10by10 to both towns in 2018, reviving this series of 10 different 10-minute-long plays that originally ran starting in the mid 2000s.
NC 10by10 will be at the Cary Theater from Thursday, July 18 to Saturday, July 20, 2019, at 7:30 PM and a 2 PM matinee on that Saturday. One difference in this year’s series is playwrights were given a theme to adhere to: Fortune.
“Some writers wrote about luck, others about what the future brings, but also contained in ‘fortune’ is the image of a big pile of money,” said John Paul Middlesworth, one of NC 10by10’s producers. “It gives the show a coherent feel.”
The plays vary from a story about someone finding a genie in a bottle and getting a wish to a woman discovering a bag of money in her neighborhood. With a variety of stories, Cary Playwrights Forum founder Lydia Sbityakov said they try to structure the show to balance out these 10 different pieces.
“We have very serious plays and we have comedies. You don’t want to have all the comedies in the first half and then all dramas in the second half,” Sbityakov said. “We try to have a good feel for the audience and end on a high note.”
Collaborative Effort
For NC 10by10, the Cary Playwrights Forum are working together with OdysseyStage, who also collaborated on PlaySlam before both groups joined up for this 10 play revival.
In the show, five of the plays are produced by the Cary Playwrights Forum and the other half are done by OdysseyStage.
“It takes a lot of confidence in the other group. We don’t get to see their plays until dress rehearsal,” Middlesworth said. “Last year, we took a chance but now we have confidence in OdysseyStage.”
Middlesworth said the idea of expanding NC 10by10 to more towns and cities is “fun to think about” but both groups still have their hands full just producing this show for now.
To select plays, a committee of 15 judges looked over the numerous submissions to narrow it down to just 10, which Sbityakov said is a challenge.
“If the directors gravitate toward a play and try to decide who will be the one to direct it, we know that’s a good sign,” Sbityakov. “And one thing we have done since our inception is showcase plays by North Carolina writers.”
Over the course of the show, audiences will also see actors play a variety of roles as they move from play to play.
Event Details
NC 10by10, presented by Cary Playwrights Forum and OdysseyStage Theatre
The Cary Theater, 122 E Chatham St.
Thursday, July 18 to Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 7:30 PM (2 PM on Saturday, July 20, 2019)
Story by Michael Papich. Photos by John Paul Middlesworth and Ariel Adams.
