LANGHAM COURT THEATRE PRESENTS
THE 2019 RISK THEATRE MODERN TRAGEDY COMPETITION
Langham Court Theatre announces that it is inaugurating a major new play writing competition, the world’s richest competition specifically for the writing of tragedy: the all-new 2019 Risk Theatre Modern Tragedy Competition. At stake is $10,000 in prize money. The winning play will be workshopped in Victoria, BC. A travel stipend will be offered to the winning playwright. In addition, the winning play may also be fully produced by Langham Court Theatre as a special event.
Risk theatre is a model of tragedy developed by critic Edwin Wong. In risk theatre, gambling acts lead to unexpected low-probability, high-consequence outcomes. Chance and uncertainty reign supreme. Risk theatre aligns tragedy with modern conceptions of chance by dramatizing the impact of the highly improbable.
This annual competition challenges intrepid playwrights to write 90 – 120 minute plays and closes on March 29, 2019. Entries cost $75. Full competition details can be found at risktheatre.com. Please distribute this release to your members and help us spread the word about this exciting opportunity.
For 89 years, Langham Court Theatre has presented nearly 3000 performances with 4000 actors in over 500 shows to 250,000 guests. Established in 1929, Langham Court Theatre is one of Canada’s most successful and longest running community theatres. The theatre seats 177 and is located a ten minute walk from downtown Victoria in the historic Rockland neighbourhood.
Edwin Wong believes that the time is right to reboot the ancient and storied art of tragedy. After reading Taleb’s Fooled by Randomness and The Black Swan, he developed risk theatre to align tragedy with modern concepts of chance and uncertainty. The result is a tragic stage where every dramatic act is a gambling act and risk runs riot. He is currently working on a book: Tragedy Is Risk Theatre: Gambling, Drama, and the Unexpected. His thoughts on theatre as well as excerpts from his book can be found at melpomeneswork.com. Wong received a MA in Classics from Brown University where he concentrated on ancient theatre.
Contacts:
Michael Armstrong, Competition Manager
Edwin Wong, Sponsor
Keith Digby, Langham Court Theatre
