By AMALEA KRILL
Amalea Krill (they/she) is an Acting BFA freshman at Point Park University, moving all the way from Portland, Oregon. Most recently, she has worked on Point Park’s “Our Town” as a wardrobe crew member and a director for “The Air Out There” by Sharece Sellem-Hannah for the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival.
Theater is an art form that continues to expand humanity’s understanding of reality through many different formats. We’ve seen the changes that theater has gone through and continues to do so, adapting to encapsulate the reality of modern times and tell stories that grab attention and bring us, the audience, into the world. Quantum Theatre’s production of 10 Out of 12 does exactly this. A meta script brought to life through immersive blocking, mixed with sound design that makes the audience feel that they’re in the booth, 10 Out of 12 is a masterclass in what theater today can be.
Director Andrew William Smith has taken a complex piece of theater and meticulously crafted it into a comedic, heartwarming, and relatable work that all ages can enjoy. With references to current Pittsburgh theater, the audience feels right at home in this space (as if the play’s world were Pittsburgh!).
Don’t worry, you don’t need to fully understand theater lingo to enjoy this show, but it is a benefit. For theater lovers like me (potentially studying theater), this show is a masterclass in what it means to work in showbiz.
With common theatrical phrases like “hold,” “thank you ten,” “lights 203 … go,” our reality is dramatized in front of us in a way that made me go, “Yeah, I guess I do do this for a living!” As an Acting major at Point Park University, I wake, breathe, and sleep these phrases, and seeing them live onstage, in a dramatic sense, made me realize how silly we sound. The only way to thrive in this art form is to not take yourself so dang seriously, which is exactly what this show does — takes itself very seriously. So seriously, in fact, you can’t help but laugh.
You aren’t just hearing these phrases projected throughout the theater, but also directly to your ear. Quantum Theatre took a risk by exploring our sense of sound, incorporating a headset much like the one you’d find backstage at a show, worn by the crew. To say it worked is an understatement. The audience is immediately pulled into this world, able to hear backstage conversations while the “show” is happening, stage manager cues are being called, and even silly moments like singing together. It was a risk that paid off, and helped this world come to life in a way that I’ve never heard of or experienced before. 10 Out of 12 took something new, and exceeded expectations.
On top of the technical elements, the audience is graced with the cast’s phenomenal acting. As an actor, I firmly believe that comedy is ten thousand times harder than dramatic work. Understanding the fundamentals of comedic timing, pauses, facial expressions, etc., is a special skill set these actors have fine-tuned through their training. It particularly shines in the first half, with Connor McManlus (E2/Eric) and his chips, every single hold we experience, and comedically directed fast-forwarding and slo-mo montages. The physical comedy in this show has many moments to shine, and the actors don’t take that lightly. From dish-fighting to dancing, the actors really play up what it means to be in tech, perfecting the balance of maintaining business onstage without pulling too much attention.
While I had a wonderful time, I left with more questions than answers. Plot points left untouched, moments brushed over, and a storyline that seemed to change momentum halfway through, dimmed the lights on this show. Even with a bittersweet ending that left my heart warm, I still felt a bit lost about the characters’ relationships. Conflicts would be mentioned and never touched on again. One moment characters are upset with each other, the next ,completely fine.
While this show focused on the comedy at its heart, the dramatic moments, while still strong, were washed over like a sandcastle: you catch a glimpse of the past, but not long enough to make sense of it.
Regardless of plot holes and moments lost, this show captured the life of working onstage with comedic accuracy, in a way that made me feel seen.
Acting seems so simple to most people, but when shown in this absurd way, it makes you realize and appreciate all the effort artists put into creating theater.
As a young artist emerging in a world where we are unsure what will happen to the arts, this show gives me hope for what is to come with theater.
NOTE: I am thankful to Sharon Eberson and Point Park professor Richard Keitel for this wonderful opportunity to see “10 Out of 12” at Quantum Theatre, and encourage other artists, young and old, to see what our lives look like behind the scenes from a third-person perspective. As a Point Park student, I want to give a shoutout to Mark August, Connor McCanlus and Melessie Clark and others for showing me what it means to be a Point Park alumnus onstage.
Read Sharon Eberson’s take on the show here:
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