2016 Peace Play winner, ‘Party Favors,’ takes the stage Oct. 7-9
Event: Goshen College Peace Play – “Party Favors,” by Cary Pepper
Date and time: Friday, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8 at 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. (ASL interpreted)
Location: Goshen College Umble Center
Cost: All tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door
The Goshen College Theater Department will perform “Party Favors,” the winning play in the 2016 Goshen College Peace Play Contest – the only contest devoted solely to plays about peace and peace-related topics in the United States – during the college’s Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 7 at 8 p.m., Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. and Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. in the college’s Umble Center.
“Party Favors” is written by Cary Pepper, a playwright, novelist, and screenwriter from San Francisco, and tells the story of an independent political candidate, Malcolm Wilkes, and his fight to run a clean campaign amidst the turbulent climate of modern politics.
In this political drama, Wilkes is trailing in the polls by 80 percent, which is great news – he’s running in Peter Haley’s district, and no one’s ever done this good against Haley before. But when a higher-up in a major party’s national committee arrives to help, Wilkes must work even harder to run a clean campaign.
When the party leader digs up dirt on Wilkes opposition, will he be able to ignore it and stay away from dirty politics, or will his shot at winning be too tempting to pass up?
“Party Favors” is directed by Anna Kurtz Kuk, assistant professor of theater. The cast includes Jonah Yoder, a sophomore music major from Goshen; Rachel Buckley, a sophomore theater major from Elkhart, Indiana; James Lang, a junior theater major from Portland, Oregon; and Brianna Herndon, a first-year theater and art double major from Blossom, Texas.
All seats for the performances cost $5 and can be purchased at the door or at the Goshen College Welcome Center. Call (574) 535-7566 for more information.
“Party Favors” was selected from the more than 40 plays entered in the biennial contest, which is in its 34th year (established in 1982). The next contest deadline for entering one-act play scripts is December 31, 2017. The winning entry will be produced in 2018. Contact Goshen College Director of Theater Doug Liechty Caskey for contest rules and guidelines or to make a financial donation at douglc@goshen.edu or 574-535-7393.
The Goshen College Peace Play Contest was originally underwritten in 1982 by a grant from the Disciples of Peace, a Middlebury (Ind.) charitable fellowship, and is now made possible through audience contributions. According to Caskey, this is the only contest devoted solely to plays about peace and peace-related topics in the United States of which he has knowledge.
Previous winners of the Peace Play Contest are:
1982 – “The Dove, the Hawk and the Phoenix,” by Norman A. Bert
1984 – “After the First Death,” by Richard Strayton
1986 – “Shadows,” by Scott Memmer
1988 – “Eminent Domain” by Ronald L. Dye
1990 – “Rock In A Weary Land” by Marian Towne
1994 – “Andromache in Baghdad” by Norma Jenckes
1998 – “Bombers” by Jonathan Graham, first place; and “Catch a Falling Star” by Darrel deChabey, second place
2000 – “Where Are You From?” by Helayne Schiff, first place; and “Topaz” by Kenny Berkowitz, second place
2002 – “The Photo Shoot” by John Wolfson, first place; and “The Story” by Rebecca Schwarz, second place
2004 – “Enough” by Patricia Montley, first place; and “In a Time of War” by Eric Diener Meyer, second place
2006 – “Baby Boom” by Lia Romeo, first place, and “Acts of Contrition” by Patricia Montley, second place
2008 – “Here to Serve You” by Barbara Lindsay, first place; and “29 Questions” by Hillary Rollins, second place
2010 – “A Gentler Place” by Jeff Carter, first place; and “Pedestrian Casualty, Bronx USA” by Nina Mansfield, second place
2012 – “Mr. Maurizio” by Mic Weinblatt, first place; “Seldom is Heard” by Mary Steelsmith, second place; “Stay Tuned,” by 1999 Goshen College graduate Peter Eash-Scott, honorable mention
2014 – “Out From Under With Mary” by Chris Shaw Swanson, first place; “I Scream, You Scream” by Mattie Rydalch, second place; and “Daughters of Africa” by Andrew Ade, honorable mention
2016 – “Party Favors,” by Cary Pepper