Winners Announced in Heartland’s "New Plays from the Heartland" Competition

Heartland Theatre Company Managing Artistic Director Mike Dobbins has announced the winners of the 2011 New Plays from the Heartland competition. This year’s theme was "I thought it would be simple" and all plays were to include that line as dialogue somewhere in the play.

Each year, the New Plays from the Heartland competition is open to playwrights from the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

These are this year's three winning plays:

BUCK NAKED by Gloria Bond Clunie, Evanston, IL
After 66 years of playing by the rules, Lily is yearning to break free. As in, scandalizing the neighbor by watering her garden in the buff. Selling the house. Moving to a clothing-optional retirement community. She’s definitely having fun, but her daughters are concerned. Can they bring her back to earth? Should they even try?

THE DOCK by Stephen Peirick, St. Louis, MO
Weddings are one of those markers in life, making people think about life, romance and what it means to grow up. For Marty, the best man, and April, a bridesmaid, an escape to the dock outside this wedding is a chance to reminisce about their shared past, about first kisses and bad relationships, about who’s who and what’s what.

KEEPING THE WORDS by Terri Ryburn, Normal, IL
To Joyce, the teetering towers of books in her home are proof that she is “Keeper of the Words,” a book-lover who takes pleasure in each and every volume. She sings to them, cuddles them, treasures them. But when a bibliophile becomes a bibliomaniac, when collecting is really hoarding, there may be no words that can make things right.

Mike Dobbins, who leads the project, will stage the plays using local actors and minimal design elements like costumes, props and lights. This New Play Project is part of Heartland’s mission to develop new work and to maximize interaction with writers, critics, theater artists and general audience.

Staged readings will take place Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14, 2011 at 7:30 pm. The winning playwrights and finalists are also invited to a workshop and discussion on playwriting with final judge and visiting playwright Ben Viccellio on Thursday, May 12.

This project is funded by Paul and Sandra Harmon and the NPH Sponsors Circle:
Jay and Sue Edmondson
Myra and George Gordon
John and Pat Groves
Marc and Darlene Miller
Jim and Pam Raymond
Robert and Marilyn Sutherland