2009 Theme: "(re)-defining America"
The One Act Marathon is an annual tradition of the Attic Theatre Ensemble. Throughout the year, scripts of one act plays that have never been produced are solicited for submission to the literary manager. Scripts must be received by the submission deadline to be considered for the following year's Marathon. (Click here to view the guidelines for submission.)
Each play is read by three different members of the ensemble. They are evaluated and graded on plot, character development and dialog as well as other factors. When each of the submitted plays has received at least three readings, the plays with the highest grade become the finalists.
The finalists are, then, evaluated by the production staff to determine the feasibility of staging them at The Attic Theatre Ensemble space. Some plays will be chosen to receive full productions while others may receive staged readings. During the course of production, all the finalists are judged by a panel of judges who are esteemed members of the Los Angeles theatre community to determine first and second place winners.
A first prize of three hundred dollars ($300) will be awarded to the writer of the play that displays the best combination of writing style, use of characters, dialog and staging. A prize of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) will be awarded to the second place winner. Plays that are produced as part of the Marathon are eligible to be published by The Attic and sold through "Treasures In The Attic" our Online Store.
2009 THEME: (re)-defining America
(re)defining America: We are seeking creative responses to the exploration of what it means to be American and how that meaning has evolved over time. Plays need not be a literal explanation of the theme, but rather should use the phrase as a starting point to investigate the cultural, psychological, sociological and/or historical makeup of our country. Writers might consider: How much control do we have over this definition? Who controls the parameters? Are there contradictions in this definition?