Playwrights Vie for $500 Prize in Theater Project Short Play Fest

Which play will be voted Audience Favorite - the romance, the thriller, or the comedy? And which author will take the $500 Judge's Award?

Join The Theater Project, a professional theater in Maplewood, NJ, when they showcase ten short plays in their fifth annual one-act play competition, THINK FAST, February 23-25, 2018, at the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts. The contest, open to playwrights in the New Jersey-New York area, invites the audience to vote for their favorite short play. Votes are tallied and winners announced at an open reception following the Sunday afternoon performance.

"It's never an easy decision," says artistic director Mark Spina. "We have an especially strong line-up, with a great variety of themes and characters."

The company invited submissions last fall, and chose ten plays to be showcased in the event. The finalists are Jerry Casagrande, AJ Ciccotelli, Christina Delia, George Cameron Grant, Michael Klausner, Shane Mullery, Gwen Orel, John Poglinco, Larry Rinkel and Ellen Walsh.

Performances will be Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. The audience is asked to vote for their favorite plays after each show. A special award for "Audience Favorite" along with the $500 Judges' Prize will be announced at a reception for all involved after the Sunday, February 25 performance. In addition to Best Play, a panel of judges will also vote on awards for Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Director.

Tickets may be purchased online www.thetheaterproject.org or at the box office before each performance at the Burgdorff Center, 10 Durand Rd, Maplewood, NJ.