I should disclose that this was my first opportunity to attend The Fifth Annual Dallas One-Minute Play Festival. Needless to say, my curiosity was piqued. I’d seen 10-15-20 minute play festivals, but this, ironically, was setting the bar pretty low and pretty high. Could the experience of a play be distilled to one-minute? Could we experience the mountains and gutters, the cunning triad of incitement-brawling-breakthrough within the space of 60 seconds? Were they mad?! Was I mad?! Had the world gone turvy-topsy? Had every last shred of human decency gone by the wayside?
The plays were clustered in what I took to be similar themes, each cluster with the same cast and director. “Furniture” was the basic, traditional, painted wooden boxes that could be arranged according to the demands of the piece. I believe there was a bell to separate one play from the next, as a total blackout would have been impractical. The program listed the name of each piece, playwright, actors and director. An ambitious project like this demands meticulous orchestration, to keep things moving and catastrophe free. The topics ranged from current politics, to female oppression, to ideological quandary, to the hazards of sex and romance. Most of it amounted to ironic comedy. The formula seemed to be: situation – curve ball – resolution. Most of it took the form of banter.
WOMAN: I’m pregnant.
MAN: I can’t believe you’re bringing another child into this overpopulated world.
WOMAN: Well, I wouldn’t, if you’d put your penis where it belonged.
MAN: I thought I did.
END
The show moved at a brisk pace, barely enough time to ponder and reflect, before the next play began. Before you knew it, the entire enterprise was done. If vaguely frantic, it didn’t feel rushed. It’s difficult to evaluate, as this is definitely my first time at the rodeo. There were plenty of clever, punchy parting shots. The pace added to the breathless, giddy experience. It wasn’t flawless, but those involved in The Festival knew how to play to its strengths. It wasn’t so much haiku as a vaudevillian slant on more serious content. It wasn’t easy to keep up, but it was undoubtedly entertaining and immediate, intriguing theatre.
The One Minute Play Festival and Kitchen Dog Theater presented The Fifth Annual Dallas One-Minute Play Festival. It played August 11th-13th at The Bob Hope Theatre, Meadows Building on the SMU Campus.