The Alberta Playwrights’ Network is pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 Alberta Playwriting Competition, the longest running provincial competition of its kind in Canada, offering the largest cash prize of any provincial playwriting competition.
Edmonton playwright Collin Doyle received the Grand Prize Category honor for his full-length play Let the Light of Day Through. The Grand Prize winner also receives $3500.00.
Let the Light of Day Through is about Rob and Chris—a married couple in their mid-thirties. They take weekend trips to Banff and Jasper and hook up for kinky sex in seedy motels. Rob and Chris want passion, excitement, pleasure. They have an almost perfect marriage. They have no children.
But… Five years ago Rob and Chris were Bobby and Tina. Bobby and Tina met in grade eleven in English class. They are each other’s first date, first kiss, first love. In grade twelve, Tina got pregnant and their world changed. Let the Light of Day Throughis a bittersweet story that explores the struggles, battles, anger, fear, care, love, and laughter that all long-term relationships are built on.
Collin Doyle is an Edmonton based writer. His play The Mighty Carlins won the Discovery Prize in the 2004 APC and was produced by Workshop West, Nakai Theatre, and Persephone Theatre. The Mighty Carlins received a Sterling Award for Outstanding New Play in 2008. Slumberland Motel was awarded the APC Grand Prize in 2006. His other plays include: Routes, Dear Penthouse, and Nighthawk Rules (with James Hamilton). NighthawkRules received two Sterling Awards for Outstanding Fringe Production and Outstanding New Fringe Work. Collin is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada.
The jury also awarded Honorable Mentions to Calgary Playwright Mike Czuba for his play Reprise and to Calgary Playwright Michaela Jeffery for her play Sundogs. The jury does not normally award such honors, but they felt strongly that these plays warrented recognition.
Lethbridge Playwright Makambe K Simamba received the Discovery Prize Category honor for her play MUD. The emerging playwright will receive the $1,500 prize to help fund her future writing endeavors.
MUD is about Thandiwe who returns to Zambia for her parents’ approval of her engagement to her Canadian fiance, Thomas. When the couple arrives in Zambia, Thandiwe’s tumultuous past surfaces and everyone must deal with the consequences of the secrets she tried so desperately to escape.
Makambe K Simamba was born in Lusaka, Zambia in 1990. She has lived in Guyana, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and Prince Edward Island. She now resides in Lethbridge, Alberta where she is completing her 4th and final year as a Drama Performance major at the University of Lethbridge. In her writing she is fascinated with exploring domestic issues inspired by the cultures she has lived in. Makambe is excited to continue acting and writing in Alberta’s theatre community, and hopes to thrive as an emerging theatre artist.
The jury also awarded Honorable Mentions in the Discovery Prize Category to Calgary playwright Chelsea Woolley for her play 1000 Names and to Calgary Playwright Dan Perry for his play Wasted.
The jury for the 2012 Alberta Playwriting Competition comprised a panel of established Canadian Theatre Practitioners: Aaron Bushkowsky, Mieko Ouchi and Erica Kypoto. The jury works blind (without knowledge of the names of the playwrights) to select a winner in each category.
Download the full press release here: APC2012pressrelease
