09/01/2026
From the Belleville Intelligencer
September 1, 2026
10-Minute Plays Return to Theatre in The Wings
Belleville’s Theatre in The Wings will once again be hosting The Canadian National 10-Minute Play Festival later this month. Audiences will be treated to seven plays chosen from almost two hundred and fifty entries submitted from all across Canada, performed by some of the Quinte Region’s finest actors. “The overall quality of the scripts keeps getting better and better each year,” says Peter Paylor, the Festival Director. “The judges could easily have picked twenty or more. They had a hard time selecting just seven.”
This year’s plays are directed by a quartet of local directors—Phil Bowerman, Bill McMahon, Lisa Spence, and Peter Paylor. The cast includes Matthew Sheahan, Leah Hamilton, Christine Leggat, Jason Bremner, Natalie Nolan, MJ Mari, Candace Meeks, Myra Slava, Kevin Flesch, Warren Christiani, Sarah Winn, Margaret Ruttan, and Paulina McMahon.
For the third year in a row, the festival will include the work of a local author, “Real Estate Ghost” by Belleville playwright Chris Bauer. It’s a quirky comedy that audiences are bound to enjoy. Returning to the festival are playwrights Leslea Kroll from Edmonton and Dave Carley from Toronto. Newcomers include Ottawa’s Ron Davies, Fredericton’s Alex McAllister, Toronto’s Nina Kaye, and Vancouver’s Sherry MacDonald whose play “Hot Milk”, is a one-woman tour de force. Each performance includes all seven plays. There will be comedy, mystery, and romance, truly something for everyone.
The 3rd Annual Theatre in The Wings Canadian National 10-Minute Play Festival runs from September 10 to 13 and 17 to 20 with evening shows at 7:30 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and matinee shows on Sundays at 2:00 pm. See all seven plays for $25. Tickets are available online at www.theatreinthewings.ca or call (613) 403-7329 to reserve. Theatre in The Wings is located at 30 Bridge Street East in Belleville.
Photo caption: Candace Meeks and Stephanie Rose performing in the Second Annual Theatre in The Wings 10-Minute Play Festival. The third annual festival runs Sept. 10-13 and 17-20 with evening shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. matinees on Sundays
