Kumu Kahua Theatre and Bamboo Ridge Press Announce The Winner of the October 2023 Go Try PlayWrite Contest
For Immediate Release 11.21.2023
Kumu Kahua Theatre and Bamboo Ridge Press Announce
The Winner of the October 2023 Go Try PlayWrite Contest
Where: Kumu Kahua Theatre, 46 Merchant Street, Honolulu
Contact: Sara Ward, officemanager@kumukahua.org, 536-4441
HONOLULU HI – The October Go Try PlayWrite winner is Randy Otaka for his piece Cat and Mouse.
October 2023 prompt: A Trick or Treat prompt. Write a ten (10) page maximum scene about a group of kids who retaliate with a trick against a house and someone that didn’t give them a treat on Halloween night. As always, have fun with this. Act out your childhood revenge fantasies, but don’t forget about the consequences.
"During the pandemic, like most people, I reassessed life and explored hobbies. Through Kat Nakano, I learned about an online group of both writers and actors mainly on the west coast led by Jason Fong, and started participating in it. Until then, I had mainly written short story prose and some poetry. The straight dialogue practiced in the class was both challenging and refreshing, because it eliminated a lot of the cerebral exposition that I usually relied upon. And, because we had to perform each other's work, I also gained an appreciation of actors, and their ability to commit fully to a role (something which I still cannot do)... Fast forward to 2023. I had (sort of) completed some longer works, but was restless to take the next step and try to have them performed. The advice I got was to become a part of the local theatre scene, as much as I could, in whatever capacity I was comfortable with. Kumu Kahua Theatre's monthly playwriting competition seemed to fit the bill, so to speak. So I made a vow that I would write and submit something- no matter how ill-conceived or crappy- every single month. I started in May, and haven't missed a month yet! I want to thank Harry Wong III and all the hard-working and devoted people of Kumu Kahua Theatre, for this opportunity, and for keeping local theatre alive and thriving!" Randy Otaka~
Each month Kumu Kahua Theatre co-sponsors this playwriting contest with Bamboo Ridge Press in their combined effort to nurture local playwrights and authors. Each month a different judge is pulled from amongst the theatre practitioners in the Hawaii theatre community. All plays submitted are read by Kumu Kahua Theatre Artistic Director, Harry Wong III.
Kumu Kahua Theatre is now accepting entries for the
November 2023 Go Try PlayWrite Contest.
November Prompt: A “what’s in the news” prompt. Write a ten (10) page maximum scene or an six (6) page maximum monologue of an adult responding to a child’s question about an event currently in the news. I encourage you to pose the most difficult question a child can muster to the most problematic events in the world right now. Remember that this is a scene or monologue in the dramatic form; avoid preaching and cant. Good luck.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT
Contest Rules: Each entrant must write a 5-page monologue and/or a 10-page scene based on monthly requirements. Each month a new prompt will be chosen by Kumu Kahua Theatre’s Artistic Director. The prompt will be given on or by the 1st of the month and the due date will always be the last day of the month. All entries must be written in traditional play format; instructions on this format can be found here: https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats courtesy of the Dramatists Guild.
There will be one winner each month. Scripts will be submitted to the judges anonymously. So please do not put your name on the cover of your script. Winners will receive $100.00 and a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press.
Kumu Kahua productions are supported in part by the NME Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, the Island Insurance Foundation, The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawaiʻi, The AAPI Community Fund, The Richard Aadland Fund, The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, The John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, Spectrum/Charter Communications, ABC Stores, the Gloria Kosasa Gainsley Fund, Hawaiʻi Public Radio, H. Hawaii Media, Simply Storage, The Kim Coco Fund for Justice of the Iwamoto Family Foundation, Vacations Hawaiʻi, Zippy’s Restaurants, Highway Inn, Generations Magazine, CVS/Longs Drugs, HMSA, Hawaiian Electric, MonkeyPod, Ron and Rachel Heller, Leonard and Charlotte Chow, and other foundations, businesses, and loyal patrons.