DOWAGIAC, Mich. — A journey to discover a new emerging playwright began months ago. The Beckwith Theatre Company teamed up with the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival to give a “leg-up” to an aspiring playwright’s career.

This unique search is designed to recognize emerging playwrights, ages 18-30, living or studying in Michigan and northern Indiana. Awards totaling twenty-two hundred dollars will be presented to the top three finalists in this competition. Now is your chance to be the first to experience these works. Stage readings of the three contenders will be presented on the Beckwith stage April 17, 18, and 19.

 

‘A German Party’

Actors from the Beckwith Theatre will present the stage reading of “A German Party” on at 7 p.m. Friday, April 17.

The script written by Elizabeth Frankel of Ann Arbor, Michigan, takes place in a suburb outside Berlin. It is New Year’s Eve 1932, one month before Hitler is appointed Chancellor. Seven childhood friends meet for a reunion party after months of being apart. Quietly and awkwardly aware of the changing political climate, they remain desperate to cling to the friendships they have known for so long. It is only after the announcement of who is joining the Nazi Party, and who is not, that these childhood ties are put to the test.

 

‘Moxie’

At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18, players from the Beckwith will present “Moxie,“ written by Graham Techler of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Legendary, reclusive, comparative literature professor Joens Hjort has retired. A group of students from Bates College send him a, mostly-joking, invitation to spend the weekend before his official retirement party with them on the coast of Maine. Miraculously, he accepts and joins the group at the vacation home of one of the students. The group intends on celebrating the distinguished man’s life and career.

However, they soon discover that Hjort, who came of age during the sixties, and hasn’t cut loose in thirty years, may be ready to party ‘harder’ than they possibly can. The ‘inspirational’ truths they want him to share from the other side of a full life may be a little too real for them to handle. As Hjort begins to tear down the students’ naive perspectives, and pit them against each other, tensions rise to the surface and the weekend getaway turns into an uncomfortable, boozy, flaming disaster.

 

‘Atlanta’

“Atlanta” written by Gregory Strasser of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, will be presented at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, by students from Southwestern Michigan College.

Miles outside the last standing city in the United States, a group of people have hidden away in an abandoned gas station to defend themselves from the ravenous disease that has swept across the world. The resources are low and tensions run high as a family fights to maintain its structure, unlikely alliances are formed, and frustrations mount to a breaking point.

Trapped, isolated, and incensed, ”Atlanta” is biting drama that challenges what a family is and at what lengths people will go to preserve an ideal.

The audience will be part of the panel of judges who selects the “Dogwood/ Beckwith Emerging Playwright Award.” Audiences will be asked to judge each play at the end of its reading. These presentations are free and open to the public.

A stage reading of the winning script will be presented on Monday, May 11, as part of the week-long Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, running May 8-17. Awards will be: First Place – The Don and Dorothy Frantz Memorial Award; $1500, Second Place — The Karen Pugh Memorial Award; $500, and Third Place — The Warren and Lillian Walshleger Memorial Award; $250. This presentation will also be free and open to the public.

The Dogwood Fine Arts Festival is made possible by the generous support of the St. Denys Foundation and generous contributions from area families and businesses. View the entire schedule of events at www.dogwoodfinearts.org.