OKLAHOMA CITY — Carpenter Square Theatre’s annual fundraiser “Best in Ten” ran for one night only, March 29th, 2025. This event, now in its 21st year, featured a night of music, good eats, and new theatrical works for supporters of the theatre.
“Best in Ten” is comprised of hand-selected scripts from submissions all around Oklahoma, and the Board of Directors chose to debut during the fundraiser.
Every year a different artist or supporter serves as the Honoree for the event. This year’s honorees were Ric and Jennie Penner and Amanda Lee, who were honored for their contributions to the Oklahoma City arts community.
To kick off the festivities, patrons filled up on fare from local restaurants, including Harvey Bakery and Spanish Cove.
A silent auction added to the buzz in the lobby of the theatre. The silent auction featured donated packages and included handmade items from local artisans, theatre tickets, restaurant gift cards and more. The proceeds benefited the artists and the theatre.
A $20 per bottle wine pull also raised funds, with wines from local donors. Patrons also enjoyed free valet parking.
New, ten-minute plays were presented as directed readings on CST’s spacious new stage. Interspersed between each new play was musical entertainment by Amanda Lee, Lisa Reagan Love, and Jeremy Small. Jake Johnson accompanied them on piano.
“Best in Ten was created to celebrate playwrights, but also to honor philanthropists and volunteers,” said Lippert, speaking to the audience prior to the start of the event. Lippert, who serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors, emceed the evening along with Executive Artistic Director Rhonda Clark.
“We are so appreciative of all the artists who’ve contributed to tonight and want to say thank you so much to our patrons,” Clark said.
The new plays debuting this year included “The Elevator” by Michelle Swink, “What’s Best for the Show” by Terry Veal, “Ten Miles East of Okemah” by Lance Brittan, and “Lisa Dunn: Pastor Wife Performance Coach” by Rick Allen Lippert.
The four short play offerings were eclectic, and each was different with its own moments to shine.
Show opener “The Elevator” (in the feature photo) was particularly impactful, bringing with it an emotional ride that was surprisingly astute and clocked in at just ten minutes.
Also resonating with the audience was “What’s Best for the Show”, in which a high school teacher grapples with the perils of putting on a musical theatre production. This year’s lineup provided a glimpse at the unique array of writers and performers in Oklahoma City.
The musical stylings of the vocalists were also shining moments, with showtunes from Lisa Love and Jeremy Small, and some original compositions by Amanda Lee.
Crystal Barby and Holly McNatt, who performed in “Lisa Dunn”, spoke to Free Press before the performance. “It’s so important for the local community to support events like this one. I’ve enjoyed the process so far, and I hope more people come out next year,” McNatt said. “And it’s just fun to do something different! They’re really catering to a unique audience with events like these,” Barby added.
Like most performing arts entities, Carpenter Square is a non-profit organization. They rely heavily on donations and fundraisers like “Best in Ten” to ensure operations can continue each year. An event is successful when patrons come and participate, both financially and as an audience.
Carpenter Square Theatre debuted their new space off Reno and Western in 2023, after a host of setbacks delayed their opening. Now in their 41st season, the company that began in the Carpenter Paper Company warehouse in 1984 has produced a full season of plays and events every year since.
Season 41 has included well-known titles like “Dial M for Murder” and “Women of a Certain Age”. CST closes their season with the much-anticipated fantasy adventure “She Kills Monsters” in July.
Tickets are available for all the remaining shows online at carpentersquare.com, or by calling the Box Office at 405-232-6500. All performances take place in their beautiful new performance space, located at 1009 W. Reno. Free parking is available across the street at Sweis Greek Café.
Adrienne Proctor is a theater and arts writer in Oklahoma City. She's been contributing to the arts reporting space since 2017.
