Studio's 8 plays are cool shorts for summer

These shorts double as briefs.

At 10 minutes a pop, they're part of the New Summer Shorts Festival 2009, a two-act show of eight plays - or shorts - that opens June 11 in Scottsdale.

"There are new works festivals and one-act play festivals in town, but I think we're the only ones doing 10-minute plays," says Carol MacLeod of Theatre Artists Studio, where the show will be presented. The studio is both a performance space and a nonprofit group of writers, actors, directors and technical people who collaborate on theater productions, workshops and classes.

"The great thing about (the festival) is that it's a sampler. It's great for people who enjoy theater, and for people who don't go to the theater often, it's not a four-and-a-half-hour version of 'Hamlet,'" says Phoenix playwright Devorah Medwin.

Her play "Pooh 2" is in the festival, along with seven other new works selected for the show by a jury of writers, directors and actors. Penned by mostly local playwrights, the works will be presented with minimal props and costuming, though a large screen will provide titles and some backdrops.

MacLeod says the competition is a challenge for talented writers.

"What I find the hardest is ending (a 10-minute play), finding the perfect way of wrapping it up tight," says Medwin. "In 10 minutes, you can get something that's potent, but having an ending that doesn't seem like you're trying to wrap it up, an ending that flows naturally - that's a challenge."

The lineup:

"The Box" by Alan Austin

A woman on her way from Tucson to Phoenix to see a play becomes involved with a mysterious box.

"Demon Double Dare" by Debra Rich Gettleman

A 40-something woman crashes a dinner party at the expensive Chicago brownstone of an old friend.

"E.L.F." by Hal Corley

Mentor and student meet years later in a chance encounter, igniting a potent reunion between two distinctly different Americans at a crucial crossroads.

"No Alarm Chili" by Hal Corley

A squabbling middle-aged couple flee a chili cook-off, creating fireworks of their own with their agitation.

"One Evening at the Majik Mini-Mart" by Tom Noga

A convenience store owner's life is turned upside down when a customer walks in with some unique ideas about consumer rights.

"Pooh 2" by Devorah Medwin

Two sisters on vacation in England struggle to keep their bearings when they journey to the forest that inspired author A.A. Milne's "Winnie the Pooh."

"Santa Fe" by Robert Caisley

Old friends meet at a cantina and contemplate their past, providing a poignant look at the turns, mistakes and ironies of life.

"Where Birds Go to Die" by Dave Middleman

A senior citizen and a recluse investigate why "with the kazillions of birds out there," we aren't knee-deep in dead ones.

New Summer Shorts Festival 2009

What: A variety show of eight new 10-minute plays

When: 7:30 p.m. June 11-13 and 18-20, and 2 p.m. June 14 and 21

Where: Theatre Artists Studio, 4848 E. Cactus Road, Suite 406, Scottsdale

Cost: $20 regular admission; $10 with student ID

Information: (602) 765-0120 or www.theatreartistsstudio.org