June 18, 2022, Ottawa, ON – The Ottawa Little Theatre’s 81st Annual National One-Act Playwriting Competition received 47 entries from across the country. The winners join a long list of Canadian literary luminaries including Robertson Davies, John Murrell, Erika Ritter, Catherine Banks and Ken Mitchell.

First prize, Ottawa Little Theatre Award:

Wednesday’s Children by Ron Davies (Ottawa, Ontario)

Adjudicator’s comments for Wednesday’s Children:

  • “Powerful tour de force between two afflicted characters. Truly lives up to its title’s reference.”
  • “A spirited confrontation between sisters over loyalty, and the lack of testament of a Father’s many sexual transgressions against one sister years ago. The victim has rewritten her life story, deleting her sister in order to survive. She now fiercely protects her new life and family.”

Second prize, Dorothy White Award:

Voice Over by Peter Zednik (Vancouver, BC)

Adjudicator’s comments for Voice Over:

  • “Riveting, atmospheric, suspenseful and creepy. Leaves the audience guessing up to the final moments.”
  • “What seems to be an exciting, lucrative entry into the world of voice-over narration turns into a hauntingly frightening web of blackmail. How did they get that very personal information? And how will they use it?”

Third prize, The Gladys Cameron Watt Award (sponsored by the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women):

63 Dates by Peter Zednik (Vancouver, BC)

Adjudicator’s comments for 63 Dates:

  • “Refreshing and novel approach to the age old dilemma of dating. Wonderful depiction of over 5 dozen interconnected encounters on a small yet tightly controlled set.”
  • “It’s a round of celebration that goes on forever, until Max realizes there is one person he cannot live without, and for his own sake, he accepts the responsibility and frailty of Toby.”

Sybil Cooke Award to an outstanding play “for Children or Young People”:

Cool With It by Caitlin Oleson (Ottawa, Ontario)

Adjudicator’s comments for Cool With It:

  • “Engaging and charming characters with great interaction. The play connects with both youth and adults teaching important lessons in a humorous fashion.”
  • “It’s tough showing your affection when you’re a smart nine-year-old boy and you like, not a girl, but a boy. Cupid steps in and shows the lad he is not broken or weird and encourages him to act on his true feelings. Sensitive and timely.”

For media inquiries, please contact:

Chris Ralph, VP Artistic
613-808-7339
chris@actingcompany.ca

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About the Competition

The competition is open to original one-act plays in English, encouraging literary and dramatic talent in Canada. Plays written for any age group, including children and young people, are welcome. The play must be previously unproduced or have been produced no earlier than in the entry year. The playwrights are unknown to the adjudicators, with all the plays submitted anonymously.

Plays are generally accepted into the competition from May until December. After the submission deadline, all received plays are distributed to adjudicators, all of whom have a long history with the OLT. Each entry is read by two adjudicators who identify three finalists among the entries they read. The finalists are then read and evaluated by the other adjudicators. The winners are selected during a group discussion following the completion of all the reading.