OSWEGO – The June 15th deadline is soon approaching for The Donald J. McCann Memorial One-Act Playwriting Contest but there is still time to submit your short play. Each year, The Oswego Players are on the lookout for aspiring playwrights eager to see their new and unique creations brought to life onstage. President Norman Berlin III urges, “If you’ve ever felt the urge to write a play, now is the time to take that leap and submit your work!”
The contest honors Don McCann, a true wordsmith who not only directed thought-provoking plays but also crafted his own one-act gems. A lifelong resident of the Port City, McCann made his mark as a reporter for the Oswego Palladium-Times before delving passionately into the realms of acting, directing, and writing with the Oswego Players in the mid-1950s. Throughout his four-decade tenure, he held roles as president and historian for the theater group, which has been a staple in the regional arts scene since 1938. McCann’s artistic flair leaned towards bold, message-driven plays such as The Visit, Inherit the Wind, and Agnes of God, all of which he helmed. Not only did he contribute numerous articles and play reviews, but he also ventured into crafting one-act plays for the group’s performances.
The Donald J. McCann Memorial One-Act Playwriting contest is FREE to enter and is open to any playwright who is 18 years or older and resides (or attends college) in the state of New York. All plays must be based on original concepts (no adaptations or verse plays), unpublished and unproduced. None of the submitted plays may be read publicly until the prize winners have been announced. All submissions must be one act, single set, with a suggested run time of 20 to 30minutes.
Anyone interested in submitting an original One-Act Play script for the 2024 contest should contact [email protected] 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 [email protected] or through the mail, Playwriting Contest, P.O. Box 183, Oswego, NY 13126.