Ten Minutes in Heaven

by Ben Ditmars

Imagine, if you will, a different world; one of free-love and pirates; burglary and Noah’s ark. A world that takes you anywhere and everywhere; the bedroom of a murderous couple; two men fighting for a dumpster in the midst of a recession; the ultimate showdown between Socialism and Capitalism; all to end with the actors from the Wizard of Oz reunited in heaven. Take the escalator or the stairs on this unforgettable journey of ten minute plays.

94 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 24, 2011

About the author

Ben Ditmars was first published in his college publications the Cornfield Review and KAPOW and has since been featured in several online literary journals. He is the author of six poetry books including Night Poems, Haiku in the Night, Inhale the Night, Sleeping with Earth, Number Poetry and Splinters with Susie Clevenger. He lives in Ohio with his wife, De’Garrica, and dachshund, Elsa.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very funny and clever series of short plays. It reminded me in parts of some Woody Allen sketches I have read before. The author's humour is off the wall, and contagious. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to try something different. It is certainly refreshing to read this type of book after mainly reading novels or short stories. Hidden amongst the humour is a keen insight into our world and social problems that affect all of us. The author has a wonderful way of making the darkest subjects entertaining. In this book you will find characters such as the stars of the Wizard of Oz, and dead artists such as Edgar Allan Poe and Vincent Van Gogh. The subjects covered in the short plays are diverse, including: homelessness, robbery, capitalism versus socialism, murder, and sex.
A recommended read.

[Cinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a delight to read this collection of ten short plays. Carefully written, all of them take you in an amazing travel through different topics. The characters are perfectly well defined, so they feel very realistic. The dialogues are witty, deep, funny, vivid, and all at the same time, and the tone is quite suitable to the different topics developed in the different plays. If you are fond of plays that read like poetical short stories, this is the book for you. Very easy to read, it is a very quick reading, since every play lasts for 10 minutes, just as indicated in the title. I highly recommend this collection as a must-read. I cannot wait to read more from the author.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was different than any book I've read, it's ten short plays. They are well written with humor, and a message in every one. I liked Hot Sex and jump the most. This author knows how to keep your attention through out the book. I enjoyed his plays and totally recommend that you read this wonderful book. Ben has more books out, I have them all and can't wait to read more from this author. Thank you Ben for sharing your skill with us!

[Darcia Helle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best way I can describe this book is to tell you it's uniquely fascinating. Because each short piece is written as a play, there is no narration. Each story is told through dialogue alone, with a brief setup for each scene. Despite what might be strict limitations for many authors, Ben Ditmars manages to immediately draw readers in, capturing the mood of the story and the essence of the characters. I was amazed at how much was said with so few words.

[Katherine McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts

Well, I can honestly say I’ve rarely been so surprised in my life. In a very good way.

I heard about Ten Minutes in Heaven on Facebook when the author was having a free promotion on Amazon. I thought it was a novel. I had no idea it was a compilation of short plays. So, imagine my surprise when I opened it up and was swept into the unknown. This was my first time ever reading a play and I was so impressed I had to go back and do a reread right away.

I’ve always been amazed with writers of novellas because of the difficulty of creating a good backstory, developing characters and establishing an interesting plot in such a limited amount of pages. If I was amazed before, then now I’m in awe of writers who can do the same with just dialogue, a few strategically placed words, carefully chosen character names and no narrative. Outstanding! I’m absolutely blown away!

Since I’m not familiar with reviewing plays, the best I can do is to describe how I felt as I was reading these ones. During each one, I could easily imagine the actors on stage, what they looked like, how they were dressed, and their facial expressions even, where they were on stage and how they were interacting. And honestly, even the scenery. All without being told outright like what I’m used to. All the while sitting back and enjoying each story as it unfolded with each one triggering a wide range of differing emotions and reactions. This is why I’m so in awe. How is this possible in so few words?

A few of these short plays are so hilarious they had me guffawing my way through with happy tears on my cheeks. A few are a little more on the serious side and I tried not to laugh but it was hard with the residual giggles still lingering in my stomach from the ones before. One I didn’t understand but I totally put that down to my own ignorance of the underlying social message. I’m not a person that is very good with subtle. Sometimes you have to hit me over the head with something in order for me to understand. That’s why my brain can’t really comprehend poetry. All were entertaining, compelling and moving in their own way.

Well done and kudos to this author. You’ve opened my eyes and absolutely gained a new fan! Looking forward to what you are planning next.

[Tracy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a collection of plays, but this was fascinating, thought-provoking, and sometimes laugh out loud funny. Each story had a message to share and I enjoyed the continuous action and drama that came to play in each tale. As a visual reader I have a few favorites from this book that will stick in mind for a long time. Best wishes to the author for creating such an interesting body of work and I look forward to reading more in the near future.

[Charity Parkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for something different then "Ten Minutes in Heaven" is the perfect choice. This book is unique from everything else that I have read since it consists of 10 short plays that last 10 minutes each.
-Hot Sex
-MacIntosh
-Jumper
-Bank Rob
-Pirates of the Olentangy River
-Dumpster Boogie
-Crashing Noah's Ark
-Train Rob
-The Great Argument
-Heaven of Oz
Several times I caught myself laughing while secretly hoping that my sense of humor is not too warped.

[M.J. Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short plays from the immensely talented Ben Ditmars. I particularly liked the one about the bank robbery, and the man who couldn't care whether he lived or died. The plays are laced throughout with Ben's infectious sense of humour which is always delivered with impeccable timing. I noticed a few typos but they did not detract from a very enjoyable read and I'm very happy to recommend this book to anyone who wants some light hearted but thought provoking entertainment.

[Ana Schichtel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an amazing book for girls only.

[Paul LaFontaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A series of short plays that take place in a universe where the actors from the Wizard of Oz reunite, and Capitalism faces off with its rival and lover, Socialism. Smart, witty exchanges that provoke thought and leave you wanting more.

I really liked the ideas and format. Challenging, short exchanges. The play about selfishness is brilliant. As is the exchange between political philosophies.

Highly Recommend.

[Sara Ghuffari]

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