May 13, 2008 contact: Mike Ricci
For Immediate Release phone: 218/262-7377
HCC Theatre Announces winner of the Dylan Days One-Act Playwriting Contest
HCC Theatre Director Mike Ricci has announced the winner of the inaugural Dylan Days One-Act Play Contest. This new contest was designed to be part of the already popular literary contest, which includes short stories, poetry and fiction writing. Ricci floated the idea of the one-act play contest to the Dylan Days committee members last summer, and everyone thought it would be a good addition to the literary event. Not only would the winning play be recognized as such, but it would be given a full-scale production on the HCC Theatre stage during Dylan Days.
With the help of several playwriting websites, including the Playwrights Center in Minneapolis, and the Dylan Days website, the word went out to all aspiring and established playwrights to submit their one act plays. In a few weeks, the plays started coming in – 108 in all, from all over the United States and several foreign countries including Scotland, England, Ireland, Switzerland and Chile. Plays were submitted from Hollywood screenwriters, MFA playwriting students, heads of writing programs at major universities, writers from large cities and small towns across the country.
‘The sheer volume was very surprising’ commented Ricci. I was expecting maybe thirty plays in all, and they kept coming in at the rate of four or five a day. I was absolutely amazed’.
After reading through all one hundred and eight plays, Ricci selected a group of six semi-finalists – the best of all the plays submitted, and these were given to a committee for their recommendations. After careful consideration, the winning entry was selected –
“Lessons and Carols” by Demetra Kareman from Brooklyn, New York. She is an MFA playwriting student at Rutgers University where she is a student of Lee Blessing’s, a Minnesota native, and well respected nationally re-known playwright who heads up the Rutgers playwriting program.
“Of all the plays submitted, Lessons and Carols has a great blend of humor and drama, and very well drawn characters who are not only immediately recognizable, but who pull us into their world and make us care about them,” said Ricci.
Taking place in a private Catholic boarding school for girls, the play addresses such issues as role playing, teen pregnancy, the use and abuse of authority, and the idea of sustaining hope through prayer, and decisive action.
“All of this is presented in a seemingly light hearted manner that becomes gradually more profound and moving” explained Ricci. “’Lessons and Carols’” has had staged readings in New York City, but the HCC Theatre production will be its world premiere. As an added bonus, Ms. Kareman will be in Hibbing for the premiere of her play.
Performances will be Saturday, May 24 at 3:30 pm,
during the
Literary Contest Winners event at HCC Theatre, with an encore
performance on
Sunday, May 25 at 1:30 pm. Admittance to the Saturday showing is
through the
purchase of a $Dylan Days button, while the Sunday show will be $5,
general
admission, with proceeds going to benefit HCC Theatre. This
production is rated
PG-13, for the use of some strong language and adult situations.
The
performance lasts approximately 40 minutes. Tickets will be
available at the
door. For more information, call Mike Ricci at 218/262-7377.