by Rachel Hill
Daily Lobo
New dramas and comedies by UNM playwrights are primed for national awards consideration.
The Words Afire Reading Series will present six plays this weekend. There will be a one-woman, one-act and a commissioned piece performed by the Blackout Comedy Troupe.
UNM Dramatic Writing Program chairwoman Elaine Avila said the readings are part of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.
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"We've had a lot of winners in the past," Avila said. "In fact, the Kennedy Center speaks very highly of our program."
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., invites all American universities to enter original student works to be considered for regional and national awards. One of the awards includes a full-stage production in Washington, D.C., in the spring of 2008.
In the past, winners have been given nationwide internship programs with professional playwrights such as Edward Albee, Avila said. Local directors with international backgrounds are invited to direct the plays in the Words Afire Festival, she said.
Student Leonard Madrid, a co-winner in the Latino category last year, has a play in this year's lineup, acted in a fellow student's play and helped organize the festival.
Madrid said he's dedicated to the festival because it benefits playwrighting students.
"In the past few decades, emerging writers didn't know anything about getting their plays produced," he said. "So, it has become a problem that writers are writing plays that aren't even meant to be produced."
Madrid said any UNM graduate or undergraduate is welcome to submit a play for consideration to be entered in the festival. If selected, the student must then take a course that focuses on rewriting their play to perfect it for competition.
Student Terry Gomez - whose play, "Comanche Women," was performed on Sunday - said participating in Words Afire has helped propel her career and made people more aware of her work. Her goal as a writer is to increase contemporary and historical representation of American Indians in the media, she said.
There isn't an American Indian awards category in the Kennedy Center's festival, but competition judge Terry Lewis said that might change soon.
Lewis evaluated this past weekend's plays and decided which ones would move on to the regional level of the competition. He said he attends state festivals and on-campus productions of schools in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. He said he was particularly excited to attend Words Afire.
"It's so impressive to see this university," Lewis said. "The faculty is so engaged and active in getting students' plays seen. There's a real jewel here."
Madrid said this weekend's performances should exceed audiences' expectations, entertaining and informing.
"All of them are unique and really cool," he said.
Words Afire Reading Series
UNM Humanities Building, Dickey Theatre
Free
Friday
7:30 p.m., "Greek Row Tragedy"
Saturday
2 p.m., "Four Days in the Delta"
7:30 p.m., "Connect - an Evening of One-Acts"
Sunday
6 p.m., "Panic on Central"
Myspace.com/WordsAfire
