By SHARON EBERSON
Tech rehearsal in theater is the crew’s time to sync to a show’s rhythms and iron out the wrinkles that develop with hundreds of light and sound cues, entrances and exits, performers hitting their marks, wardrobe and set changes ,,, it’s where it all comes together. Or it doesn’t.
No matter. The show must go on.
10 Out of 12 — the working and break hours in a day prescribed by union rules — celebrates the unsung behind-the-scenes heroes who make sure the magic happens. It’s also a time when mundane, often funny conversations flow through headphones, bored or boorish actors stir up trouble, along with the emergence of old wounds and outside distractions.
Disruptions abound, with those 10 hours proving to be necessary if ever the doors will open on opening night, as they did on Friday, April 3, for Quantum Theatre’s production of Anne Washburn’s laugh-out-loud and often maddening play, now at Mellon Institute.
Having the audience wear headphones and be in on every conversation worked beautifully, judging by the laughter all around me. Simple instructions at the entry were all we needed to be in on the unseen action. Some of the voices were only that, over loud speakers or in our ears, so check your program for one that belongs to a familiar face.
in 10 Out of 12, the Quantum Theatre production at Mellon Institute.
(Image: Jason Cohn)
As if to prove the importance of tech synchronicity, scenes changes combine choreography and lighting for the impression of slow motion and fast-forwarding, mirroring the ebb and flow, from frantic to tedious.
The fictional play within the play is a Victorian-era thriller that is not meant to be a comedy, but, through personality clashes and minor calamities, it often proves otherwise.
As Elliot, the indecisive director played by the estimable Tim McGeever, constantly defers to the script by “Karla,” the unseen writer, and a nod to Quantum Artistic Director Karla Boos. Throughout, references are made to Pittsburgh theaters, such as the New Hazlett and Pittsburgh Musical Theater (PMT leader Colleen Doyno was in attendance), and the Paramount+ series The Mayor of Kingstown also gets a shout out.
We are grounded in Pittsburgh, at a typically adventurous Quantum Theatre play, with headphones on. In that way, the unconventional makes perfect sense.
Among the first people we see is Connor McCanlus, as a stagehand (E2 in your program) munching on “pink salty gross things,” which sparks a conversation with E3 Joel (the voice of Alex Ungerman, Quantum’s director of production) in the booth. McCanlus’ comic timing and physicality throughout is spot-on.
As Elliott’s assistant, José Pérez IV, often see in more physical roles, here is painfully awkward, in all the best cringy ways.
(Image: Jason Cohn)
The cast-within-the-cast proves to have some equally awkward back stories, but many threads of potential story lines come and go so quickly, you might miss them, or are left to wonder what happened to them after the fact.
Although we hear that everyone is in place and good to go, Corey Rieger’s self-absorbed Paul arrives late on the scene, quite out of the blue, yet he proves to be a key player in the most potentially fascinating, yet annoying ways.
Rieger’s brilliantly delivered second-act monologue purposefully goes on, and on, and on … your inner voice may be pleading for him to stop, but also, you can’t help but wonder how long he can keep going.
Paul’s aloofness aside, there’s a delightfully playful chemistry among three of the play-within-the-play’s principle actors: Mark August’s stalwart Ben, Charles in the play, Melessie Clark’s eager Eva/Maria, and Shammen McCune joyful as Siget, in several roles.
It’s hard to take your eyes off of Clark, elegantly swathed in a bustled red gown (costumes are by Carrie Anne Huneycutt), while you get an idea of how a director’s vision may cause bodily harm to an actor. For example, how do they make it to their marks in the pitch dark?
As Jake, a Hollywood actor returned to his theater roots and much-resented by Paul, Evan Vines is a bit of an outsider, sparking private conversations that are “overheard” by the audience.
Interruptions increasingly slow down the progress of tech day. McCune’s Eva pleads her case for a hilariously unnecessary enhancement, Vine’s Evan returns from a break late … and then there is the outrageousness of “Karla’s” script to unravel.
When Rieger’s Paul goes off the rails after a long scene at a brothel (there’s a boa involved), the tech falls away. August, beside him, mimes everyone’s frustration.
Trying to remain calm amid the chaos is seen-and-heard stage manager Jamie Agnello, with hard-working newcomer Olivia Ruhnke as the company ASM.
10 Out of 12 is an exhilarating, vexing mix of personal intrigue, over-the-top theatricality, and insider speak. You may also come away with a newfound sense of awe at the people who pull off hundreds of light and sound cues — , and disembodied voices saying , “Could you give more bottom to that thunder cue?” What you can see is Tony Ferrieri’s fabulous set, that includes a grand reveal, within the decorated wood-paneled walls of the Mellon Institute.
Kudos to sound designer Steve Shapiro, who also voices the sound designer, and lighting designer C. Todd Brown, and all those who loaded in an agile set and built an archway booth in a tight space, who made a teetering chandelier safely drop and lift, actors who survived steps and aisles and pratfalls, and director Andrew William Smith, who kept the ship of many parts on an even keel.
10 Out of 12 is imperfect in its mood swings, in turns funny, fascinating and infuriating. Yet Quantum’s immersive, imaginative production is as engaging and enjoyable a night of theater as you’re likely to experience. In the end, it is a love letter to all those who make theater happen, from the stagehand to the stage manager to the folks who come to watch and listen, and never lose the wonder of, “How did they do that?”
TICKETS AND DETAILS
Quantum Theatre’s production of 10 Out of 12 is at the Mellon Institute, 4400 Fifth Ave. at Bellefield Street, Oakland, entrance on Bellefield side (with sign at the door), one floor below street level. Through April 26, 2026, Wednesday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. (no show on Easter Sunday, April 5). Tickets: https://www.quantumtheatre.com/10-12/.
Read Point Park University’s Acting BFA freshman Amalea Krill’s review here:
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