University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Arts Board Saskatchewan Lotteries, SaskCulture, and the Canada Council for the Arts.
Local businesses that supported the event include Playwrights Canada Press, Thistledown Press, J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing, 25th Street Theatre/Saskatoon Fringe Festival, Persephone Theatre, Saskatoon Symphony, Live Five Theatre, Nino’s Restaurant, Alexander’s Restaurant, Saskatoon Jazz Festival, McNalley Robinson Bookstore, Grain Magazine, Blackflash Magazine, Broadway Theatre, Top Drawer Dramatics, La Troupe du Jour, Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival, CBC Saskatchewan, Tourism Saskatchewan, Sage Hill Writing Experience, Delta Bessborough Hotel, Saskatoon Co-operative Association, Culligan Water Matters, Saskatoon Children’s Festival and the University of Saskatchewan Drama Department.
Twenty contestants wrote throughout the night in the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre 13th Annual 24 Hour Playwriting Competition. The event was held in an Arts and Science Computer Lab on the University of Saskatchewan campus, Saskatoon from 4:00pm Friday, April 30th until 4:00pm Saturday, May 1st, 2010.
An esteemed panel of judges (Heather Inglis, Johnna Wright, Kristen Holfeuer, Joshua Beaudry, Pamela Haig Bartley and Tom Bentley Fisher) read and completed their assessment of the scripts, all of which were written within the 24-hour time constraint. At the Awards Brunch, held on Sunday, May 2nd at Alexander’s Restaurant, four professional actors (Leon Willey, Matthew Burgess, Clare Middleton and Angela Christie) gave script-in-hand readings of excerpts from the prize-winning plays in each category.
The first prize in both categories (Open and Student) was $500. There were also second and third place prizes, as well as an Honourable Mention in both categories. The winners are:
Open Category
1st Prize Secular by Neil Oliver (Lloydminster)
2nd Prize Life Owes You Nothing by Dave W. Ouellette (Saskatoon)
3rd Prize The Prodigal Son by Ken Wilson (Regina)
Honourable Mention
Xmas Lights by Stephen Sutherland (Saskatoon)
Student Category
1st Prize Saving Eva Braun by Anthony MacMahon (S'toon)
2nd Prize The Eternity Project by Shawn Erker (Saskatoon)
3rd Prize In the Public Eye by Charlie Peters (Saskatoon)
Honourable Mention
Three Short Plays About Death by Jared Berry (Saskatoon)
Major sponsors of the 24 Hour Competition were the City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Lotteries, University of Saskatchewan, SaskCulture, Saskatchewan Arts Board and the Canada Council for the Arts. Local businesses that supported the event include Playwrights Canada Press, Thistledown Press, J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing, 25th Street Theatre/Saskatoon Fringe Festival, Persephone Theatre, Saskatoon Symphony, Live Five Theatre, Nino’s Restaurant, Alexander’s Restaurant, Saskatoon Jazz Festival, McNalley Robinson Bookstore, Grain Magazine, Blackflash Magazine, Broadway Theatre, Top Drawer Dramatics, La Troupe du Jour, Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival, CBC Saskatchewan, Tourism Saskatchewan, Sage Hill Writing Experience, Delta Bessborough Hotel, Saskatoon Co-operative Association, Culligan Water Matters, Saskatoon Children’s Festival and the University of Saskatchewan Drama Department.
Rules and Regulations
Open to all professional and non-professional playwrights.
Scripts must be written on the premises. New material only.
Only one page of notes is permitted on the premises at the start of the competition.
Entrants are accepted on a first come/first serve basis.
An entry fee of $30.00 must accompany each application. Entry fees are non-refundable
Registration Forms
Registration forms are available from the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre, Room 700, Bessborough Hotel, Box 3092, Saskatoon, SK S7K 3S9
Click here 24 Hour Registration Form to print. Mail your registration form or drop it off at room 700, Bessborough Hotel, Saskatoon.