“The play’s the thing”...that’s what Shakespeare said and now the Institute of Creative Arts is looking for a few good Belizean playwrights. ICA today launched its stage play competition in which it is having a competition to see who can come up with the best stage plays. The winner fetches a prize of one thousand dollars and Coordinator of the Films and Media Arts Unit at ICA Suzette Zayden told us what they are looking for.

Suzette Zaydem, Films and Media Arts Unit - ICA
“Well if you’ve always had an idea to write a story, this could be a good time to see if it comes up the mark. What we’re doing is asking people to send in a 20 page play with not more than six characters to the Bliss.

The stage play has two genres, we’re competing in two genres, comedy and tragedy and the winner of the comedy will get $1,000 cash and the same for the tragedy. We are reserving the right, we are looking for plays that are ready to perform. That is what we are looking for. We are going to be sending out a sample of how we want the script to be formatted so that everybody is on the same playing field and we are hoping to bring the creative writing sections alive in Belize as well as the dramatic parts. So as part of the prize, Bliss will also be sponsoring $1,000 towards production of the winning plays.

As long as it shows relevance to Belizean life or culture and it is original, that is what we are looking for. We don’t want adaptations, we are trying to avoid any problems that could arise from copyright of books that have already been published. Even if you publish your own play, we would prefer that you give us original material. We are looking at a one act 20 minute play to be performed afterwards.”

The deadline for submission of entries is May 15th. A winner will be announced on May 29th.