Let's Squeeze Again! is staged in conjunction with the 1998 Hewlett-Packard/ ACTION Theatre 10-Minute Play Contest.
Chilli Padi. Dustin Hoffman. Tim Sum. Solitaire diamond. Chi Hua Hua. Computer chips.
Great stuff can certainly be found in small packages.
I like 10-minute plays. Very much. It's compact, brief and yet has the capacity to leave a resounding resonance. This is our "Fifth Squeeze". I'd never imagined that the series would turn out to be so popular. In fact, we all had a good laugh when we were trying to think about what to call the second instalment from the series. Now I have a series of titles ready for the next ten "Squeezes"! (Maybe we should actually organise a competition to search for the best title for the next "Squeeze".)
The role of 10-minute plays has changed over the years since we introduced the genre in 1993. It has now become a major programme that helps us uncover new writing talents. The "Squeeze" series has also proved to be an effective platform for showcasing not just playwriting talents but also promising actors and directors. The genre has the potential to become our cultural ambassador and exporting our own "Squeezes" is certainly one of the things we are working towards.
A brand new 10-minute play contest is scheduled to be launched in November and we hope this bite-sized genre will ignite an explosion of creative excitement in the arts and keep theatre relevant to the new generations in years to come. (Just remember what a chilli padi can do...)
Everytime we put up a "Squeeze", I am always reminded of my first meeting with Hewlett-Packard. I wasn't even sure at that time if anyone would care about something seemingly trivial like a 10-minute play. Well, HP did. Thank you for their foresight and for keeping faith in small packages.
– Ekachai Uekrongtham
(Source: ACTION Theatre Programme)
