From a field of over 60 plays from 24 different states and 2 countries, six playwrights from around the country have been invited to attend the 2007 Hill county Playwriting Festival January 26-28. They will work on their play along with a director and actors to produce a staged reading. Three of the six plays will move on to the Final Round on Sunday, which is open the public, beginning at 8:00am and continuing until 2:00pm. Audience members will have a chance to vote and choose an “Audience Favorite” for the Festival. One play will be chosen as the winner. The winning playwright will receive $500 and a commitment of production for the play during our 2007-2008 Season. The second place playwright will receive $100, and the third place playwright will receive $50.

Invited plays include Before the Rain by Kristyn Robinson of Newark DE, The Only Virgin in Jubilee County by Patricia Milton of San Leandro CA, The Rich Man and The Shoemaker by Lee Marcus of Hornell NY, Under A Cowboy Moon by Carl L. Williams of Houston TX, Where There's Smoke by Rebecca Burroughs of San Marcos TX, and World Enough and Time by Maurice 'Mic" Weinblatt of Minneapolis MN.

Professional directors and actors, as well as community-trained actors, have kindly consented to give of their time and talents to make the staged readings possible.

Judges for the Festival include: The Head of Playwrighting at Texas Tech University in Lubbock - Norman Bert, Professor Patrick Donnelly from St Mary’s in San Antonio, and local legend Dennis Marten of Burnet.

Actors, Directors, Judges and Playwrights will be staying and working at Lake LBJ yacht Club, Log Country Cove, Moriah Bed and Breakfast, or Thunderbird Resort where they are sure to experience the best the Hill Country has to offer in hospitality and natural beauty.

Sunday’s plays will be held at HCCT and are open to the public. Tickets are $5 for nonmembers and free to season members and include entrance into all 3 productions. Tickets will be available at the door. The plays begin performing at 8:00am and will continue nonstop until 2:00pm. The winners will be announced by 2:30pm. The theatre is located at 4003 W. FM 2147 at the entrance to Cottonwood Shores. Please call 693-2474 for more information.

The Festival and all of its activities are made possible by generous grants from the Burnet County Hotel/Motel Occupancy Tax and the Texas Commission on the Arts.