Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less
at Northwood High School Academy

Reviewed on November 19, 2016

Bridgette Kontner
St. Andrew's Episcopal School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

The tumultuous age of 16 cannot be described easily, but all the trials and tribulations of being a 16-year-old were perfectly captured in Northwood High School's production of "Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less" on Saturday, November 19. A series of one-acts, they all tied together to accurately paint a picture of what it's like to be a teenager, as seen through problems with parents, friends, the Internet, and even yourself. Laced with humor but carrying a powerful message, the play offered insight into the characters' lives that the audience could undoubtedly relate to in some way.

Pulling out of the bounds of reality, the audience was delighted by the portrayal of Nikoleta Exis and Sarah Staggs as Laura's (Danielle Burman) two eyes, highlighting important internal struggles everyone faces in the one act "Lazy Eye". Exis was the perfect logical Right Eye, in stark contrast to Staggs as the more idealistic Left Eye. Underlining the important responsibilities both must undertake, the pair possessed impressive chemistry and charming antics. Laura, as played by Danielle Burman, was an essential part of this scene as well, as she reacted to what her eyes were doing, by yawning and rubbing them at times, and enhanced the entire interaction greatly.

The deepest insecurities of any teenager with the issue of divorce in their household were brought to light in the "Pay Phone" scene. James (Jackson Hawkins) is seen using a payphone to call home, but then arguing with the operator (Sarah Staggs), which turns out to be an extension of his own subconscious. Though touching on a very serious subject, the actors did so with the utmost humor. By making the audience laugh, the actors made the message sink in even more.

Bullying is a terrible challenge that teenagers must face too often, whether that be online or in person. The scene "Bench Warrant" made the audience shutter with its realistic representation of teasing and terrorizing. Laura (Nikoleta Exis) simply wants to sit on a bench to paint the tree in the distance, but is immediately picked on by Piper (Naomi Eskenazi) and her friends. The classic role of the "mean girl" was formidably enhanced by Eskenazi as she tossed around sarcasm, backhanded compliments, and flat-out mean insults.

In the one-act monologue, "Tumblefur," Danielle Burman shows another dimension of Laura. She walks her imaginary dog, talks to him, and reveals important things about herself to the audience. Burman plays this spectacularly. She enchants the audience and makes them laugh and empathize with her. She was the perfect mixture of goofy and genuine, and drew the audience in completely.

Each character brought something special to the show, each embodying a common struggle any teenager may face. The production of "Sixteen in 10 Minutes or Less" at Northwood was entertaining, but broached vastly important issues and relatable circumstances to everyone in the audience.

Katherine Byrnes
Connelly School of the Holy Child
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

"Status Update": Just saw Northwood High School's fabulous production of 16 in 10 Minutes or Less!

16 in 10 Minutes or Less, by Bradley Hayward, is a collection of short plays with intertwined storylines. Each scene revolves around one or more of the play's seven characters, with each character appearing in more than one scene. Northwood High School executed this with ease, juxtaposing the awkwardness of adolescence and the magic of teenage-hood, capturing the essence of being sixteen.

From scene to scene, the actors switched roles, portraying different characters. Although seeing different actors playing the same character proved, at times, confusing, each scene was still understandable and enjoyable. In the initial and concluding scenes, "Friend Request" and "Status Update," in which all seven named characters interacted on social media along with an ensemble of teenage friends, the actors' high energy, cohesive movements, and well-timed delivery of lines were notable.

Zachary Combs, who played the sixteen-year-old wheelchair bound Vance, realistically portrayed his character's emotions of hope, concern, frustration, and excitement. In "Double Click," Combs believably represented teenage emotions and used on-par comedic timing. The actress on the other end of his video call, Hannah Smith as Cindy, similarly graced the stage, performing with high energy and excitement. Smith's emotive facial expressions and delivery of lines accurately enveloped Cindy's superficial essence.

In "Lazy Eye," a scene in which actors portray the right and left eyes of sixteen-year-old Laura, Nikoleta Exis as Right Eye exhibited distinct development from an uptight and frustrated entity to a forgiving being who understood Left Eye's plight. Sarah Staggs compellingly portrayed Left Eye, entrancing the audience with her wondrous and skeptical attitudes as the lazy eye. Although she didn't speak during this scene, Danielle Burman as Laura showed strikingly expressive body language, which added to the scene's charm.

Naomi Eskenazi as Brody in "Wheels" tackled a challenging role with ease as she portrayed a tough yet sensitive teenage boy with family difficulties. In "Pay Phone," a surreal scene in which young James calls his parents, who discuss their divorce. Jackson Hawkins as James, Sarah Staggs as Operator, Blake Johnson as Mom, and Neil Shrestha as Dad, displayed great chemistry and comedic timing while also embodying the more serious nature of the scene. The audience laughed throughout the scene while also contemplating James' unfortunate situation. In "Bench Warrant," a scene exposing cruelties that sixteen-year-olds can inflict on each other, Nikoleta Exis' as the sympathetic Laura, a victim of bullying, was impressive and heartfelt. In "Tumblefur," the only scene with just one character, Danielle Burman as Laura charmed the audiences with her innovative interactions with her imaginary dog.

Scene changes were efficient, allowing scenes to flow seamlessly. Although there were no sound effects during scenes, songs were played between scenes that related to the plot, such as "Life is a Highway" after the scene, "Wheels." This creative choice delighted the audience. The actors' lines were clearly heard, without any distracting sound difficulties. The simple yet effective sets made it obvious where each scene occurred but did not detract from the scene's action.

"Brace Yourself," because Northwood High School's production of "16 in Ten Minutes or Less," captured the complicated age of sixteen and sure set off some "Fireworks!"

Will Lucas
St. Andrew's Episcopal School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

Northwood High School put on a wonderful show of Bradley Hayward's "16 in 10 Minutes or Less". An array of emotions were felt by the audience as 10 one acts were brought to life by the quirky, but devoted cast. The entire cast gave well-rehearsed performances and gave each scene a special touch. With the strong intellectual script that mixed modern day technology and age-old high school social dramas, the play had a very contemporary feel, thanks to the spunky cast.

Perhaps the most comical scene in "16 in 10 Minutes or Less", "Pay Phone", relied on the humorous acting by the phone operator (Sarah Staggs) and James (Jackson Hawkins). Sarah Staggs especially mastered the hilarious voice and speech patterns of the ever-hated phone recordings. Also, Neil Shrestha, as Dad, deserves special recognition for his priceless one liners that got the entire audience laughing. In the touching solo scene "Tumblefur", Laura (Danielle Burman) wowed the viewers with her impressive performance. Her expertise with the emotional monologue was flawless. Her miming skills also helped her performance as she pretended to be pulled around by her one true friend, her dog. In the thought provoking act "Lazy Eye", Right eye (Nikoleta Exis) was a strong voice of reason as opposed to the art-seeking spontaneous Left eye (Sarah Staggs). Exis' acting was especially strong when she descends into a personality and identity crisis that had everyone entranced. Finally, Elle Ulasevich (Piper) played a fantastic older sister in the amusing scene "Brace Yourself". Anyone who has an older sibling can easily relate with James (Neil Shrestha) as Ulasevich played a spot-on older sibling with sass, dominance, and true sisterly love.

The crew was just as impressive as the cast as the set, sound, and stage direction was fantastic. Every character was heard, with barely an exception, which was extremely important in this dialogue heavy play. The set choices were interesting, as the minimal style emphasized the characters more. Little touches like having the desk in "Double click" be solid enough that one could not see Vance's (Zachary Combs) wheelchair were great. Transitions were quick and subtle which made the entire play roll smoothly.

To conclude, the relatable acting combined with the punctual stage crew made this play a good experience. Hayward would be proud of Northwood's spin on his complex work as this version very much stood out as an energetic and coordinated group of performers.

Doga Tasdemir
Thomas S. Wootton High School
Submitted for publication to Maryland Theater Guide

High school is no doubt a chaotic time for everyone involved. Between relationships, popularity, parental problems, and even having too many energy drinks, Northwood High School's production of "Sixteen in Ten Minutes or Less" captures it all!

"Sixteen in Ten Minutes or less" is a collection of ten, ten minute plays following a group of high schoolers in a journey of self- discovery. Each piece brought light to a new side of growing up and being sixteen, creating a wholesome, touching and comedic work.

The cast, which was double and triple casted at some points, consisted of twelve students, each portraying several different characters throughout the course of the show. A favorite was Neil Shresta, who played Dad in "Payphone," and James in "Brace Yourself". Shresta maintained great character contrast between the two roles, portraying great charisma, and drawing laughter from every audience member. Another strong performance was given by Danielle Burman playing Laura in "Friend Request," "Lazy Eye," "Tumblefur," and "Status Update." Laura, an artistic and thoughtful teenager, was the the target of all the jokes made by a group of mean girls. Burman truly captured all aspects of the character from her school life, to moments alone with her dog.

The stage crew did a phenomenal job capturing the mood of each short scene through the use of a minimalistic set and well-executed painting. Each set piece had casters, allowing scene changes to be quick and flawless. The most notable set was the one for Friend Request, the opening scene. Each character was put on spinning chairs allowing for the creation of a dynamic stage picture.

The sound effects, put together by stage manager Veskanada Naratama, and crew member Asher Rothstein were nearly flawless in the first act and accentuated the performance perfectly.

The special effects, also done by Naratama were a great addition to the work, most notably the fireworks projections during Fireworks.

Overall Northwood's production of Sixteen is one that provides an evening of heartfelt moments and laughter for all ages!