Armed with only a page of notes, a computer and their imaginations, playwrights from across Ontario spent 24 non-stop hours this past weekend fighting off sleep and pounding out an original play.
The third annual competition proved to be the most challenging yet. “The breadth of submissions was impressive, which made our job very difficult,” says Lisa O’Connell, Pat the Dog Playwright Centre’s Artistic Director.
But we have our winners:
- Grand Prize: Allie Bell of Toronto for Neighbours
- Second Place: Cody Sears of Toronto for How Soon we Fall
- Third Place: Evan Bawtinheimer of St. Catharines for The Volcanic Bomb
- Honourable Mention: Monica Fuentes of Burlington for The Inconsolible Blueness of Jeans
Wendy Philpott, one of the contest’s judges describes the winning play. “Through language and character this play achieves a sense of familiarity by alluding to the current issues of national security, extraordinary rendition and interrogation. Full of light and dark – it’s both ridiculous and serious.”
As our Grand Prize winner, Bell receives:
- $500
- A public staged reading
- A playwright Q&A published on our site
Sears and Bawtinheimer will also receive a reading.
Congratulations to our winners and everyone who took part. We know how gruelling this challenge can be.