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10 x 10 minutes of delight

Open Stage: Open Stories at Gasometer

(Scroll down for the German language summary.)

A chair, a shopping trolley and two unicorns with luggage: it takes surprisingly little to open up a whole theatrical world. In Open Stage: Open Stories, Open House Theatre brings ten short plays to Gasometer Spielraum for a single evening. Tonight´s the night! Having watched and photographed the dress rehearsal, I came away delighted by the variety – and by an ensemble that makes each new encounter worth following. Don´t miss it!

First, kudos to the whole cast. Much of the pleasure comes from watching performers return in different roles, with a new posture, expression or relationship changing the atmosphere completely. The production brings together familiar beloved faces from Open House Theatre alongside performers from Vienna’s considerable English-language theatre and improvisation scene. All contribute to an evening full of personality.

A group of nine people stand on stage, each focused on their smartphones, with blue stage lighting and a black curtain in the background.
From “Our Town” by Catherine La Moreaux

Ten minutes is a demanding format, although theatrical clocks are apparently a little flexible: some plays take a little longer, others finish sooner. Think of “ten minutes” as a friendly suggestion rather than a stopwatch instruction. Whatever their exact length, these stories have to establish their characters quickly and give us a reason to care. The simple staging puts the actors at the centre. Against black curtains, a change of costume, a few objects and Robert G. Neumayr’s lighting are enough to move us between everyday life, unlikely adventures and more unsettling territory.

Within this strong ensemble, one performance that particularly stayed with me was Lisa Sigismondi’s tour de force in “It’s a Beautiful Chair” by Taylor Jon Gonzalez. The premise is modest: a woman gives away a chair and later finds it in her new neighbour’s apartment, where it is his only piece of furniture. Sigismondi makes this small encounter a memorable piece of theatre. Her expressive face and rapid-fire utterings give the scene an energy that reaches well beyond its ordinary starting point. With Jim Libby as her depressed scene partner, this is a good example of what such as simple staging format can achieve. There is no need for an elaborate setting when actors can draw us so completely into an exchange over a single object. That chair certainly earns its place in the programme.

A man and a woman are interacting on stage, with the man holding a black chair. The woman, wearing a yellow top and jeans, is playfully pointing at him while standing on one leg. The background is dark with stage curtains.
A woman with curly hair, wearing a bright yellow top and flared jeans, joyfully poses in the background, while a man in a checkered shirt and grey sweater sits on a stool in the foreground, appearing serious and discontented, against a dark stage backdrop.
Jim Libby and Lisa Sigismondi in “It’s a beautiful chair” by Taylor Jon Gonzalez

For sheer hilarity, the wonderfully naïve unicorns in Chuck Anderson’s Noah’s Standby List by Chuck Anderson were another personal highlight. Arriving to board the Ark, they discover an unfortunate administrative problem: they are not on the list. Samuel Kozeluh and Daniel Arora delight as unicorns with eager expressions, horned headbands and makeshift hooves, and together with Jacob Liss as the Arcangel Gabriel they bring an endearing innocence to their predicament. Even the end of the world, it seems, requires the correct booking.

Two men in playful poses, wearing unicorn headbands, with one dressed in a patterned blazer and the other in a light shirt. Both are smiling and wearing black gloves, with a suitcase and a backpack beside them.
Three performers on stage, two wearing unicorn headbands and one with angel wings, engaged in a comedic scene. One is animatedly expressing excitement next to a suitcase covered in stickers, while another stands with a serious expression, and the third holds a clipboard.
Daniel Arora, Samuel Kozeluh, and Jacob Liss in Noah´s Standby List by Chuck Anderson

A different kind of absurdity drives James Kelsey Nelson’s Bargain Barn, also directed by Samantha Steppan. What happens to two characters when they have exhausted the brief dialogue written for them? Emily Busvine and Sophie Kathleen Kozeluh make a delightful pairing as they attempt to find something more to do with their existence. Their animated exchanges turn a question about the limits of a script into playful theatre. A shopping trolley helps establish their world; the two performers supply its personality.

Two women performing on stage, one in a red polka dot dress and the other in red overalls, interacting playfully with a shopping trolley against a black backdrop.
Sophie Kozeluh and Emily Busvine in Bargain Barn by James Kelsey Nelson

Beyond the laughter

The programme also makes room for subjects that linger beyond the comedy. Lauren Sudworth’s “Watershed” asks what happens when the need to investigate a crime conflicts with a victim’s ability to erase a traumatic memory. Samara Siskind’s “Riding Bikes” explores an unexpectedly tender moment of closeness between cousins on a trip to Berlin.

A scene from a theatre production featuring a woman in a blue New York Knicks t-shirt and cap performing energetically in the centre, while a male actor in a lab coat and another in a long coat observe her with smiles.
A woman in a black bikini and sunglasses sits on a pink towel, taking a selfie with her phone. She has a colourful sarong wrapped around her waist and a stylish bag beside her. The background features dark curtains.
Louise-Marie Prack, Raymond Anderson, and Nicola Ségur in “Watershed” by Lauren Sudworth
Two male performers on stage, one smiling and the other expressing a dramatic pose, against a black curtain backdrop.
Two male performers on stage in a theatrical setting. One, seated and wearing a T-shirt with a band print, looks up with a surprised expression, while the other, standing and dressed in a sleeveless denim top, points playfully at him.
Jacob Liss and Adrian Stowasser in “Riding Bikes” by Samara Siskind

Elsewhere, our habits of watching and interpreting become part of the story. A community Facebook page unravels in Catherine LaMoreaux’s “We Love Our Town”, while Judy Klass’s “Performance Art” raises the possibility that those observing an artwork may themselves be part of it.

Across the evening, the audience moves from recognition to surprise, from human connection to uncertainty.

Three performers standing on stage, each focused on their mobile phones. The first person, wearing a red cap and a jacket, is on the left. The second person in a white t-shirt and black blazer stands in the middle. The third person, in a pink dress with a leaf pattern, stands on the right. The background features black curtains and blue stage lighting.
From “We love our town” by Catherine La Moreaux
Two women in casual clothing are performing on stage, with one woman looking concerned and the other animatedly expressing herself, against a black curtain backdrop.
Lisa Sigismondi and Louise-Marie Prack in “Performance Art” by Judy Klass

Directors Ricky McMurry, Samantha Steppan, Emily Busvine, Helena Steele and Robert G. Neumayr shape all these different worlds into an evening whose changing moods are part of its appeal. There is always another encounter around the corner.

The project began with an international call in June, inviting short plays that could work with simple staging. Scripts were assessed anonymously, and a panel of five judges selected the ten finalists. Tonight (one night only!), the audience will decide the final placings. Choosing favourites may be harder than expected.

But the competition offers something beyond prizes: ten writers’ stories brought to life by a versatile company, and ten chances to discover how much theatre can happen in a few minutes. Give or take.

A dramatic scene depicting a confrontation on stage, where one actor is holding a gun while gripping the shirt of another actor lying on the ground.
Fergous Moloney and Peter Steele in “In Defiance of Chekhov” by Regina Hinkley
A dramatic scene featuring two performers on a dimly lit stage, one lying on the ground reaching out, while the other is crawling towards them. The background is a curtain, and the lighting creates a blue and pink hue.

Open Stage: Open Stories
Produced by Open House Theatre

Ensemble: Caroline Krug, Daniel Arora, Dave Moskin, Emily Busvine, Emily Fisher, Fergus Moloney, Jacob Liss, Jim Libby, Lisa Sigismondi, Louise-Marie Prack, Nicola Ségur-Cabanac, Peter Steele, Raymond Anderson, Samuel Kozeluh, Sophie Kathleen Kozeluh and Adrian Stowasser.

One night only: Saturday, 10 October 2026, at 7:30 pm
Gasometer Spielraum, Gasometer B
Guglgasse 12, Lokal C-35, 1110 Vienna

More information and tickets


Two actors in high-visibility vests perform on stage, one taking a photo with a mobile phone, while the other gestures emphatically. A third actor lies on the ground in a plaid shirt.
A scene from a theatrical performance featuring two actors in high-visibility vests, one standing and using a smartphone, while the other kneels beside a person lying on the ground.
Samuel Kozeluh and Dave Moskin in “The Difference between Hunting and Fishing” by Mathew Green
Three men engaged in a toast on stage, holding cans in their hands. They are smiling and dressed casually in a performance setting with a dark curtain backdrop.
Three men on stage, two holding cans of beer and one holding a drink, engaged in conversation and smiling, against a black curtain backdrop.
Samuel Kozeluh, Jim Libby and Daniel Arora in “Dads on Trampolines” by Austin Steinmetz


GERMAN SUMMARY

(Die Stücke werden auf Englisch gespielt.)

10 x 10 genüssliche Minuten

Bei „Open Stage: Open Stories“ bringt Open House Theatre zehn kurze Stücke aus einem internationalen Schreibwettbewerb auf die Bühne im Gasometer Spielraum – nur heute Abend, am 10. Oktober 2026. Das vielseitige Ensemble wechselt zwischen Alltagskomik, absurden Begegnungen und ernsteren Themen. Wenige Requisiten genügen, um ganz unterschiedliche Welten entstehen zu lassen. Die angekündigten zehn Minuten nehmen manche Stücke dabei etwas großzügiger, andere sind früher fertig. Theater hält sich eben lieber ans Drehbuch als an die Stoppuhr.

Bei der Generalprobe begeisterte mich die gesamte Besetzung. Besonders in Erinnerung blieben mir Lisa Sigismondis darstellerische Tour de Force in „It’s a Beautiful Chair“, die herrlich naiven Einhörner in „Noah’s Standby List“ und das köstliche Zusammenspiel von Emily Busvine und Sophie Kathleen Kozeluh in „Bargain Barn“. Neben aller Komik gibt es auch nachdenkliche Momente über Erinnerung, Nähe und unsere Wahrnehmung. Welche der zehn Geschichten die Preise gewinnen, entscheidet das Publikum.

A modern, angled entrance door with a ramp and handrails, featuring glossy yellow walls and a marble floor.
Der Spielraum im Gasometer B

DRESS REHEARSAL PHOTOS © KARIN SVADLENAK

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