As much as I enjoy established plays with their carefully drawn dramatic arcs and well-worn themes, I am always thrilled when given the opportunity to see original work.

I was delighted to see that the Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society - with the support of the Bank of Bermuda Foundation - was hosting the first annual Famous for Fifteen Minutes Contest/Festival. New plays from Bermuda residents of no more than fifteen minutes in length with a limit of four actors were sought. Of 27 entries six were chosen as finalists.

The six finalists' plays were then rewritten and reworked with input from directors and actors.

Last night, the six playwrights had the unique opportunity of having their work premiered at the Daylesford Theatre with the assistance of all of the technical savvy and support offered by the institution.

The first play was "These Things" written by Barbara Jones.

Directed by Kelvin Hastings-Smith and performed by Jo Shane, the play follows an ageing woman at gatherings during Bermudian holidays. Jo Shane flawlessly created a believable character full of doubts and concerns that might plague a single woman surrounded by the young.

The writing was superb and funny with an underlying sadness. Nothing seemed superfluous and the sound directing made for a very solid beginning.

"Last Supper" by Marg Hammond followed was directed by Tom Coash. With the casting of Richard Dymond and Phillip Jones as a convict and prison guard, respectively, this short play could not help but stand out. These two fine actors who easily steal scenes in many other performances were perfectly matched and brought the disturbing subject matter of the final conversation of a death-row inmate to life. I for one was "creeped out."

Justine Foster's entry was third and dealt with a man who brings his homosexual lover to his father's funeral and his mother's difficulty dealing with the death coupled with this unwelcome surprise. Evelyn MacGregor was amazing as the mother, realistically portraying a loving mother and wife grappling with conflicting loyaltied. Her journey to partial acceptance of her son's lifestyle although a bit quick was handled very well. David Petty played her son, with Justin DeCosta as the lover.

After intermission the mood lightened considerably with "Answer the Door" written by Sarina Bean and directed by Andra Simons. Joanna Powell and Eugene DeRosa played a black Bermudian mother and father awaiting the arrival of their shining son from college.

Secrets abound and were delivered devilishly by the less favoured eldest son played by Jan Dash. Dan delivered all of his very comedic lines with great timing. Helena Pipe played the smart aleck teenage daughter. A hilarious play directed with movement that was stimulating in its fluidity, it suffered slightly compared to the others because of the obviously less experienced actors.

Amelia "IiMyah" Heath did "Just Reward", written by Carol Birch and directed by Shelley McKinnon, proud. This commanding actress with a presence that exuded strength and confidence was mesmerising as she delivered the beautiful language in this play about a woman on death row. Not sure what she actually did until the end, the audience was completely sympathetic with this well-drawn and well-acted character. This is a young lady we will want to see more of.

The final play was "Ice Breaker" by Julia Pitt also directed by Tom Coash. This was a very clever play performed intelligently by Lisa Taylor and Michael Burrows who had real connection on stage. The theme of facing fears was magnified by the actors who seemed to be having real fun as they created two oddballs, who meet in Norway on a ferry dock, beginning a queer and liberating friendship.

These are six fine examples of good playwriting and although there were arguably flaws in a few some argue that all plays are flawed. The playwrights, actors, directors and crew should be exceedingly proud to have produced something new, original and compelling, every one.

Allan Smith