Earlier this month, Theatre Oxford and the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council held its annual 10-Minute Play Festival at the Powerhouse.

The 2019 edition was the considered the best in recent memory, with a surge in attendance.

The weekend event hosted over 300 audience members, who all voted on their favorite of the eight short plays that were performed. The audience favorite was the comedy “Secret Family Recipes,” by Emily McClain and directed by Dr. Daniell Mattern. The play won by one vote over “PayDayus Ex Machina,” by Chuck Smith and directed by Naomi Levin.

“This year’s version was all-around the best production in its history,” said David Bell, who was a past contributor to the festival.

Other audience favorites included “Ashes to Dust,” by Oxford native Kate Leslie and directed by Kate Meacham; “Grief Has Waltzed on my Heart Tonight,” by local writer William Boyle and directed by Ole Miss student James Barton.

Each performance of the eight plays also included musical performances by Damein Wash and accompanist Adam Stringer.

The project is supported by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.