The Oswego Players are seeking aspiring playwrights who want their work performed on stage. The Donald J. McCann Memorial One-Act Playwriting Contest, a competition dedicated to the discovery of local talent, is officially open for submissions this year. Oswego Players president Norman Berlin III says that, “Anyone who has ever had the slightest interest in writing a play is strongly encouraged to do so and enter!”
Don McCann, whom the contest is named after, was a writer at heart who not only directed thought-provoking plays, but also penned his own one-act pieces. A lifetime resident of the Port City, McCann made his mark professionally as a reporter for the Oswego Palladium Times but dove headlong with passion into his avocational interests of acting, directing, and writing by joining the Oswego Players in the mid-1950’s.
Over the next four decades he would serve several terms as President and Historian for the community theater group which has had a strong regional presence since 1938. Artistically speaking, he was known for favoring thought provoking, message-centered plays like “The Visit”, “Inherit the Wind”, and “Agnes of God”, all of which he directed. As a naturally gifted writer McCann would not only publish numerous articles and play reviews for the organization, but tried his hand penning one-act plays for the group to perform as well.
2023’s McCann Playwriting Contest co-winners were the writing duo of Aaron Buitron and Phil Gross for “Game of the Week” and Alexis Martin with “Old Money, New Habits.” These One-Acts recently performed at the Frances Marion Brown Theatre in front of three packed houses, thus fulfilling the organization’s goal of encouraging works by new writers. Game of the Week’s Aaron Buitron says: “Winning this means everything, I’ve wanted to be a playwright since the 9th grade, so it’s absolutely surreal to see that dream come true.”
Anyone interested in submitting an original One-Act Play script for the 2024 contest should contact Osweplay@yahoo.com for a complete set of rules and guidelines. All submissions for this year’s contest must be received by June 15th and sent either electronically to osweplay@yahoo.com or through the mail, Playwriting Contest, P.O. Box 183, Oswego, NY 13126.
Caption: Pictured are the cast of “Old Money, New Habits” by Alexis Martin, co-winner of 2023 Playwriting Contest. From left to right are Tammy Thompson, Scott Bandla, Matthew Fleming, Kevin Colvin and Gina Mazzoli. Anyone interested in submitting an original One-Act Play script for the 2024 contest should contact Osweplay@yahoo.com for a complete set of rules and guidelines.