LA 8 AM (a ten minute play)

by Mark Harvey Levine

Some things can be reduced to numbers. Some can't.

"...Top among them are... "LA, 8 A.M.," Mark Harvey Levine's devastating, sublimely imagined seize-the-day sonata ideal for a post Sept. 11, 2001 world."
-- Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

Some things can be reduced to numbers. Some can't.

"...Top among them are... "LA, 8 A.M.," Mark Harvey Levine's devastating, sublimely imagined seize-the-day sonata ideal for a post Sept. 11, 2001 world."
-- Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

Inquire About Rights
Recommend
Download
Save to Library

LA 8 AM (a ten minute play)

Recommended by

Bethany Dickens Assaf: LA 8 AM (a ten minute play) by Mark Harvey Levine

“

Easily one of the most gripping and well-crafted short plays I've had the pleasure to read! The theatrical device Levine utilizes is arresting and incredibly clever, with a twist that somehow manages to feel like a gut punch and also totally inevitable. I'm grateful to Levine for allowing my playwriting group to read this as an example of a short play, and the entire group laughed and gasped the entire way through.

Easily one of the most gripping and well-crafted short plays I've had the pleasure to read! The theatrical device Levine utilizes is arresting and incredibly clever, with a twist that somehow manages to feel like a gut punch and also totally inevitable. I'm grateful to Levine for allowing my playwriting group to read this as an example of a short play, and the entire group laughed and gasped the entire way through.

”
Cam Eickmeyer: LA 8 AM (a ten minute play) by Mark Harvey Levine

“

This short just vaulted to the top of my list of favorite 10-minute plays. Perfect execution of the humor, the heartbreak, just all of it. I cannot recommend this play enough.

This short just vaulted to the top of my list of favorite 10-minute plays. Perfect execution of the humor, the heartbreak, just all of it. I cannot recommend this play enough.

”
Charles Scott Jones: LA 8 AM (a ten minute play) by Mark Harvey Levine

“

So cool that LA 8AM by Mark Harvey Levine was on the NPX homepage, resulting in a flashback to 2012 when I saw it at the Secret Theater in Long Island City, New York. What a methodical and melancholy and magical play! I remember leaving the festival stunned by how good it is. Sometimes sadness is so beautiful you savor it. Less is much more - and the most nothing argument turns out to be everything. I could watch this play over and over again.

So cool that LA 8AM by Mark Harvey Levine was on the NPX homepage, resulting in a flashback to 2012 when I saw it at the Secret Theater in Long Island City, New York. What a methodical and melancholy and magical play! I remember leaving the festival stunned by how good it is. Sometimes sadness is so beautiful you savor it. Less is much more - and the most nothing argument turns out to be everything. I could watch this play over and over again.

”

View all 22 recommendations

Kevin: 20's-30's, methodical
Paige: 20's-30's, intuitive
AAA: An otherworldly creature
GGG: Another otherworldly creature

Production History

Type Professional, Organization Cozmikk Entertainment, Beijing, CHINA, Year 2025
Type Professional, Organization Stage One Players, New York, NY, Year 2025
Type Professional, Organization Teatro do Clube Curitibano, Curitiba, BRAZIL, Year 2025
Type High School, Organization Bellevue West High School, Bellevue, NE, Year 2024
Type High School, Organization El Dorado High School, Placentia, CA, Year 2024
Type Professional, Organization Orange Players, Orange, CT, Year 2024
Type Professional, Organization Reboot Festival, Baron’s Court Theatre, London, ENGLAND, Year 2024
Type Community Theater, Organization Aberdeen Community Theatre, Aberdeen, SD, Year 2023
Type Fringe, Organization Big Bite-Size Breakfast, Edinburgh Fringe Festival Edinburgh, SCOTLAND, Year 2023
Type High School, Organization Hilliard Darby High School, Hilliard, OH, Year 2023
Type High School, Organization Mater Dei Catholic High School, San Diego, CA, Year 2023
Type High School, Organization Victoria School of the Arts, Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA, Year 2023
Type Professional, Organization Club 529, Attica, GREECE, Year 2023
Type Professional, Organization Madlab Theatre, Columbus, OH, Year 2023
Type Professional, Organization Project Gippen Mooleum P, Busan, SOUTH KOREA, Year 2023
Type Professional, Organization XFade Productions, Various Cities, IA, Year 2023
Type High School, Organization Academy for Visual & Performing Arts/Theatre, Paramus, NJ, Year 2022
Type High School, Organization Worthington Kilbourne High School, Columbus, OH, Year 2022
Type Professional, Organization American Lives Theatre, Year 2022
Type Fringe, Organization Thornhill Theatre Space Virtual Fringe Festival, Year 2021
Type High School, Organization School Of The Arts High School, Lawrenceville, GA, Year 2021
Type Professional, Organization Phoenix Tears Productions, Orlando, FL, Year 2021
Type Professional, Organization Short+Sweet Festival, Sydney, AUSTRALIA, Year 2021
Type Professional, Organization Theatre Three, Port Jefferson, NY, Year 2021
Type Community Theater, Organization Panhandle Community Theatre, Pace, FL, Year 2020
Type High School, Organization Queen Creek High School, Queen Creek, AZ, Year 2020
Type University, Organization University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO, Year 2020
Type Professional, Organization Art Sake, Winter Park, FL, Year 2019
Type University, Organization University of Tampa, Tampa, FL, Year 2019
Type Professional, Organization Asylum Theatre, Las Vegas, NV, Year 2018
Type Professional, Organization Garfield Center for the Arts, Chestertown, MD, Year 2018
Type Professional, Organization New Short Play Festival, New York, NY, Year 2018
Type University, Organization Harlequin Productions, Auburn, NY, Year 2018
Type High School, Organization Mitchell High School of Performing Arts, Colorado Springs, CO, Year 2017
Type University, Organization Capital University, Columbus, OH, Year 2017
Type University, Organization Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA, Year 2017
Type University, Organization Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, Year 2017
Type High School, Organization Kent Denver School, Englewood, CO, Year 2016
Type High School, Organization West Delaware High School, Manchester, IA, Year 2016
Type Professional, Organization Stuart Rogers Studios, Los Angeles, CA, Year 2016
Type Professional, Organization Teatro Augusta, Sao Paulo, BRAZIL, Year 2016
Type University, Organization Salem Kolleg, Überlingen, GERMANY, Year 2016
Type High School, Organization Archbishop Hoban High School, Akron, OH, Year 2015
Type High School, Organization Redwood High School, Larkspur, CA, Year 2015
Type Professional, Organization Santa Paula Theatre Center, Santa Paula, CA, Year 2015
Type Professional, Organization Teatro Augusta, Sao Paulo, BRAZIL, Year 2015
Type Professional, Organization Theatre Down South, Parañaque, PHILIPPINES, Year 2015
Type Professional, Organization 극단 청년단, Seoul and Seongbook, SOUTH KOREA, Year 2015
Type Community Theater, Organization Siesta Village Players, Weslaco, TX, Year 2014
Type High School, Organization Franklin High School, Franklin, WI, Year 2014
Type High School, Organization Redwood High School, Larkspur, CA, Year 2014
Type High School, Organization The Bancroft School Worcester, MA, Year 2014
Type Professional, Organization 15 Minute Theatre Festival, Seoul and Incheon, SOUTH KOREA, Year 2014
Type Professional, Organization Cary Players, Cary, NC, Year 2014
Type Professional, Organization Changing Scene Theatre Northwest, Bremerton, WA, Year 2014
Type Professional, Organization Milwaukee Repertory Company, Milwaukee, WI, Year 2014
Type Professional, Organization Minnesota Shorts Play Festival, Mankato, MN, Year 2014
Type Professional, Organization Oh Dragon Theatre Co., Austin, TX, Year 2014
Type Professional, Organization Theatre Down South, Parañaque, PHILIPPINES, Year 2014
Type University, Organization McLennan College, Waco, TX, Year 2014
Type High School, Organization DuBois Area Senior High School, DuBois, PA, Year 2013
Type High School, Organization Hilliard Bradley High School, Hilliard, OH, Year 2013
Type Professional, Organization J.E.T. Productions, Los Angeles, CA, Year 2013
Type Professional, Organization Short+Sweet Delhi, New Delhi, INDIA, Year 2013
Type High School, Organization Colorado Springs Conservatory, Colorado Springs, CO, Year 2012
Type High School, Organization Redwood High School, Larkspur, CA, Year 2012
Type Professional, Organization Above The Curve Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Year 2012
Type Professional, Organization Actors Workshop of Ithaca, Ithaca, NY, Year 2012
Type Professional, Organization Artists Exchange, Providence, RI, Year 2012
Type Professional, Organization Changing Scene Theatre Northwest, Bremerton, WA, Year 2012
Type Professional, Organization Jakarta Players, Jakarta, INDONESIA, Year 2012
Type Professional, Organization Little Fish Theatre, Co. San Pedro, CA, Year 2012
Type Professional, Organization Orange Tea Theatre Co., Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS, Year 2012
Type Professional, Organization Secret Theatre, New York, NY, Year 2012
Type University, Organization Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH, Year 2012
Type Fringe, Organization Edinburgh Fringe Festiva, Edinburgh, SCOTLAND, Year 2011
Type High School, Organization All Saints Episcopal School, Fort Worth, TX, Year 2011
Type Professional, Organization Blackout Theatre Company, Sydney, AUSTRALIA, Year 2011
Type Professional, Organization Colonial Playhouse, Philadelphia, PA, Year 2011
Type Professional, Organization Neo Ensemble Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Year 2011
Type Professional, Organization Raconteur Theatre, Columbus, OH, Year 2011
Type University, Organization Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA, Year 2011
Type Fringe, Organization London Fringe Festival, London, ENGLAND, Year 2010
Type High School, Organization Saint Mary's Hall, San Antonio, TX, Year 2010
Type Professional, Organization Acme Theatre Company, Maynard, MA, Year 2010
Type Professional, Organization Edgemar Center For The Arts, Santa Monica, CA, Year 2010
Type Professional, Organization Renegade Redhead Productions, New York, NY, Year 2010
Type Professional, Organization The Barn Theatre, Montville, NJ, Year 2010
Type Professional, Organization Theatre Unleashed, Los Angeles, CA, Year 2010
Type University, Organization Chabot College, Hayward, CA, Year 2010
Type High School, Organization Woodland Hills High School, Pittsburgh, PA, Year 2009
Type Professional, Organization Circus Theatricals, Los Angeles, CA, Year 2009
Type Professional, Organization Madcap Players, Washington, DC, Year 2009
Type Professional, Organization Triangle Theater Chapel Hill, NC, Year 2009
Type Professional, Organization Madhouse Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, Year 2008
Type Professional, Organization Collaboraction at the Steppenwolf Garage, Chicago, IL, Year 2007
Type Professional, Organization Vital Theatre, New York, NY, Year 2007

Genre

drama,

experimental

Subject Matter Keywords

numbers,

math,

death

Length

ten minutes,

10-30 minutes

Cast Size

Age of Intended Audience

all ages

Reviews

The Fringe Report

“
a smart piece of writing cleanly delivered
”
Time Out Chicago

“
Mark Harvey Levine’s “LA 8 AM” transcends its genre—the quirky play in which math and science are used to explain the lives of ordinary people—to cut to the marrow of slacker existence.
”
Chicago Sun-Times

“
Top among them are..."LA 8 AM," Mark Harvey Levine's devastating, sublimely imagined seize-the-day sonata ideal for a post Sept. 11, world.
”