Each of the 10 short plays that make up "10 X 10" uses a different one of the Ten Commandments as its broad theme or jumping-off point.
Jeff Gottesfeld, project coordinator for "10 X 10," chose a version of the Ten Commandments from the 1985 Jewish Theological Seminary translation of the Hebrew Bible.
Here is the translation of the Ten Commandments (found in Exodus 20) that the 10 playwrights referred to in order to create their plays:
1. I the Lord am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage.
2. You shall have no other gods beside Me. You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.
3. You shall not swear falsely by (alternative translation from Hebrew: take in vain) the name of the Lord your God; for the Lord will not clear one who swears falsely by his name.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God: you shall not do any work you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your settlements.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house: You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female slave, or his ox or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's.
To see the whole Jewish Theological Seminary translation of the Hebrew Bible, go online to www.jewish.com and click on "Torah" in the community index.
'10 X 10' plays
"10 X 10," a collection of 10-minute plays by 10 leading TYA (Theatre for Young Audience) playwrights from across the United States, will be performed Nov. 5-6 at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H.
Here is a list of the titles of the plays that make up "10 X 10," in the order they will be performed; the playwright; and the commandment upon which that play has been based:
- "Kelso & Case-Tec," Jose Cruz Gonzales, First Commandment
- "Wonder on Paper," Mary Hall Surface, Second Commandment
- "Waiting for Bobo," Sandy Asher, Third Commandment
- "Last Minute," Barry Kornhauser, Fourth Commandment
- "Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother," Ric Averill, Fifth Commandment
- "Quick-Draw Grandma," Elizabeth Wong, Sixth Commandment
- "Grown Up Tree," Caleen Jennings, Seventh Commandment
- "Out of Order," Cherie Bennett, Eighth Commandment
- "Fork in the Road," Y York, Ninth Commandment
- "Get," James DeVita, Tenth Commandment
Source: Ric Averill, Lawrence Arts Center.