US Premiere in Portland, OR — November 20-22 & December 3-6, 2026 at 21ten Theatre, 2110 SE 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97214. Th-Sat 7:30, Sun 2pm.
Tickets Available via Eventbrite. $18 – $22
About the Play
After 25 years of marriage, Maggie Callahan finds herself newly single and thrown into the chaotic world of modern dating. Armed with nothing but a martini and a sense of humor, she endures 10 wildly different first dates, from a narcissistic influencer to a spiritual guru who won’t stop trying to balance her chakras. As Maggie faces the absurd realities of dating apps, mismatched personalities, and midlife crises, she begins to realize that love is more complicated—and hilarious—than she ever imagined. 10 First Dates is a comedic exploration of relationships, self-discovery, and the unexpected joys of being single.
CW: Please note that the script contains profanity, sexual misconduct, and vague reference to sexual violence.
Cast :: 2 actors— 1 woman (50s), 1 man (40s/50s) to play all 10 dates
Set :: Simple. Table with two chairs.
Runtime :: approx 75 min
Awards
Praise for 10 First Dates
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “fast-paced and funny” ~ London Pub Theatres Reviews
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “The writing is insightful and also very funny” ~ My View From the Stalls
Based on Real-Life Experiences
All of 10 dates are based on actual experiences by the playwright or one of her friends. It really is this daunting out there, but not all is lost if you can find that one in a million—or rather, maybe just one in ten.
This same real-life dating experiment behind this play is now a guided workbook — 10 First Dates Workbook: A Guided Journey for Dating With Intention — for anyone ready to live through their own ten dates, not just watch someone else’s.
Previous Productions
Gooper Dust Productions produced this play for the Women’s Writers Festival at Camden’s Etcetera Theatre from March 20-24, 2026. This production earned three fringe theatre award nominations:
⭐️ Fringe Theatre Award for Best Duo Performance for Mark Parsons and Laura Shipler Chico
⭐️ LPT Standing Ovation Award for Best Play and Best Multirole performance for Mark Parsons.
Audience Reactions
“Loved the show! It was so touching and relevant!”
”The performances were brilliant!”
”It’s the best play I’ve seen in ages. Seriously.”
“It was wonderful! I enjoyed it so much.”
”Fantastic show!”
”Very funny and a great atmosphere.”
”It was superb.”
”I genuinely loved the play.”
