Virtual theater takes an interactive twist in the Jewish Plays Project’s National Playwriting Contest, now underway. More than 250 submissions from playwrights in 30 states and five countries have been narrowed to seven finalists, and the public will choose the winner.
Finalists include “Settlements,” in which a battle erupts at a JCC over a controversial Israeli-Palestinian play; “United Nathans,” about a reunion in Israel that uncovers past secrets; the seder-set “Elijah”; “A Moving Picture,” which uncovers the truth about a theater legend’s World War II past; and “Motherland,” exploring the effect of trauma on four generations of women.
Excerpt clips from the plays are viewable here, along with introductions from the playwrights. The entire scripts are available here.
In addition, there are three upcoming events featuring several of the plays that will be livestreamed via Zoom: 5 p.m. PDT May 19 (sponsored by the Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia); 9 a.m. PDT June 6 (from Center Stage in Ra’anana, Israel); and June 24 at 4 p.m. PDT June 24 (sponsored by the Jewish Repertory Theatre of Western New York in suburban Buffalo, N.Y.) Register for these here.
Voting is ongoing through June 30 here.
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