Your VetRep Review

Announcing the winners of our 2nd Playwriting competition!

Another week closer to the end of the year, and we are finally ready to announce the winners of our second playwriting competition. We received over 200 submissions in both full-length and 10-minute play competitions. It was tough to whittle it down to a top-ten before turning the lists over to our panel of distinguished judges, but now we are thrilled to finally be able to announce the winners and finalists. The judges for the Jan-July 2022 competition included Fred Graver, Jeffrey Sweet, Cheryl L. Davis, Jeremy Kareken, and David A. Tucker.

The full-length play finalist is Francisco Manuel Martínezcuello for his riveting Iraq War story SALSA NIGHT. About the play, our judges said, "We were quite taken with the ideas around the staging of the play. It’s innovative, adventuresome and totally engaging. We’ve never really seen these types of characters interact before. You brought out those characters beautifully. The ending really hit us. This is a terrific piece of work."

Francisco will receive a $5000 grant.

Our ten-minute play finalist is Arianna Rose for her funny, SEX, LIES AND STYROFOAM. About the play, our judges said it was, "We loved the two characters and their off-handed, everyday exchange in the middle of a laundromat. To be perfectly honest, the judges “saw the ending coming,” fairly early on – but we felt that just meant we were enjoying the play more. Congratulations! We really enjoyed this piece."

Arianna will receive a $500 grant for her exceptional work.

The full-length play runner-up is Christopher Soucy for his clever, poignant, and funny GOOD MOURNING. About the play, our judges said, "We felt that the family was wonderfully well-drawn. We really got a sense of each character throughout the play. It felt real to us, and we felt that we were really “in” their lives. This is a terrific piece of work."

Chris will receive a $7500 grant for his exceptional piece. (Also - catch our podcast episode with Chris which just dropped on Monday!)

Our ten-minute play runner-up is Denis Meadows for his stunning, shocking and poignant, A BRUSH AGAINST THE INDIFFERENCE OF THE UNIVERSE. About the play, our judges said, "We were totally intrigued with the interplay between Benjy and Chaim. It felt a little bit like Arthur Miller meets Beckett. Really a first-rate piece of work."

Denis will receive a $750 grant for his play.

The winner in the full-length play category is Deborah Yarchun for her topical, poignant, and surprising TECTONIC MELANGE. About the play, our judges said, "EVERY judge mentioned Tectonic Melange as a special play. The characters felt real. There was a world in the play, and a story that was wonderfully motivated and driven by the characters. There was a bit of a “Local Hero” (the old movie from Bill Forsyth) feel to it. The production notes were spot-on – we could “see” the play in our heads."

Deborah will receive a $10,000 grant for her outstanding play.

Our ten-minute play finalist is Mike Oppenheim for his gritty, surprising, realistic Vietnam War play, THE SIDE OF CAUTION. About the play, our judges said, "This play presents a vision of combat...It is innovative, sharp and shocking in its depiction of casual brutality. Well-done. Great job."

Mike will receive a $1000 grant for his play.

Please join us in congratulating these outstanding writers for a job well done!