(CMR) The Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) has brought back the National Playwriting Competition (NPC) giving individuals, young and old, the chance to share their writing talent and potentially win a money prize.
In celebration of Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee, entries are being invited for plays written across the theme ‘Majesty,’ regardless of the author’s interpretation of that word could also be. Individuals can even get the possibility to have their play produced.
The National Playwriting Competition was created in 1990 by Henry Muttoo, CNCF Artistic Director, who recently retired after 33 years of service to the humanities and culture community. Under his direction over 50 Caymanian stage plays now form a part of Cayman’s collection of original literature. Among the scripts can be found, on request to the Foundation, to be used by educational institutions as learning r28 April.
Open until 28 April, the competition is for all Caymanians and individuals domiciled within the Cayman Islands, excluding playwriting workshop tutors, playwriting competition judges, and staff of CNCF. There are two competition categories:
Category 1
AGE 17 & UNDER – Individual school-attending children, school groups, and others age 17 and under. Anyone who has attained the age of 18 but continues to be attending school must enter the adult category. Submissions could also be made as:
-Skits, which shall be 10 to twenty minutes in playing time OR
-One-act plays, which shall be 30 to 45 minutes long.
Category 2
AGE 18 & OVER – This category includes individuals aged 18 and over, whether attending school or not. Plays submitted on this category could also be either:
-One-act – half-hour to 1 hour in length
-Full length – an hour and a half to 2 hours in playing time.
One winning play from either category might be chosen for production as a radio play to be broadcast on air. If CNCF concludes that the production of a radio play just isn’t possible, a staged reading of the winning script might be presented by CNCF.
“Given this exceptional opportunity to have their scripts dropped at life in performance, we sit up for Cayman’s writers and aspiring playwrights taking to their keyboards to develop either an concept that may need been brewing for some time or a brand new flash of inspiration, and sub228 April scripts in time for the April twenty eighth deadline,” said Marcia Muttoo, CNCF Managing Director.
Trophies and certificates might be awarded in each category, together with the next money prizes:
AGE 17 AND UNDER
Best Skit – $100
Best One-Act – $300
AGE 18 AND OVER
1st Prize One-Act – $500
1st Prize Full Length – $800
The National Playwriting Competition began in 1990 and continued for 15 years until 2004 when Hurricane Ivan put the Harquail Theatre out of commission for 3 years. Over that period, the competition offered training through the National Playwriting Workshops and incentives to young writers to creatively explore ideas or issues which concern or appeal to them, using the discipline of writing for the stage.
Past winners include Donna Tull-Cox (Breaking In, Fat Probability, De Honeymoon Over), Dr. Stephen Pickering (Pleased New 12 months, The Weakend), Lennon Christian (The Navigation Tree), and Charles D. Bush (My Brother’s Keeper, Secondary Colors). They each worked to hone their skill as writers, developing their ideas and having the chance to experience their scripts being dropped at life as theatrical productions.
For more information in regards to the National Playwriting Competition, email [email protected], call 949.5477, or visit https://artscayman.org/special-events/.
