Not every town has a community theater, and not every theater stages original productions. The Marshalltown Community Theatre’s fourth annual playwriting competition for Iowa authors will showcase three one-act plays in five performances spanning April 25 to May 3 at the Orpheum Theater.

Pete Grady with the MCT noted in 2024, only two one-act plays were awarded prizes, and both plays “Love is a Mystery” by Edie Goodwin and “The Gravedigger” by Quinn Young, were chosen by the theatre’s board of directors to be part of the 2024-2025 MCT season. Winners were awarded $50 each.

“They did a mini competition, which I entered, and I won, in the sense that my show is going to be produced as the third show,” he said.

That play is called “Family Reunion.”

“Love is a Mystery” centers on two married couples that inadvertently meet at a restaurant, and learn that each one of them is engaged in an affair. The play’s writer lives in Council Bluffs, and in addition to her playwriting skills, she wrote the novel “Bertie’s Place.” This production features actors Lisa Naig, Josh Krough, Michelle Roseborrough, Carter Richerodt and Becky Moundson, and is directed by Rick Gooding and Becky Moundson.

“Family Reunion” tells the story of an unhappy elderly woman whom her children have placed in a nursing home. She feels she doesn’t belong in the home and argues with her children and a staff member, but admits that she can no longer safely be on her own. The MCT committee that suggested this play for production called it “poignant — anyone who has lived through this experience will relate.” The cast includes Lana Bradstream, Ryan Grabau and Sammuel Wilder, joined by Trudy Sharp in her first MCT performance. It is directed by Pete Grady and Jonathan Kirner, and produced by Janine Campbell.

“The Gravedigger” is a surrealist play, which lays bare the story of a man, his son and the tragedies they have suffered. Judges called the play “captivating, almost poetic at times” and “interesting, arresting, full of movement and message.” Its author is a student at Iowa State University who was born in Michigan and raised in Iowa. It stars Troy Gould, Jonathan Kirner and Carter Richerodt. Jonathan Kirner directs the show, assisted by Pete Grady.

“The judges are known only to me and they don’t know who has submitted the plays,” Grady said. “The judges have all spent more years than they care to admit in community, high school or college theater. They’re people that I have worked with and people I have respect for.”

In four years, four original shows by Iowa authors have been fully produced, and not just a reading.

“When we’re done with ‘The Gravedigger’ and ‘Love is a Mystery’ we will have had six,” Grady said. “For an original playwriting competition, to be able to tell potential folks that look, not only do you get to sit down and write a play, but there’s a pretty darn good chance that if you’re a winner, you will be selected for production. I’ve never seen another playwriting competition that can say that.”

Tickets are $15 at the door and available online at www.ticketleap.events/events/marshalltown-community-theatre.

Performances are April 25 and 26 at 7 p.m., April 27 at 2 p.m. and May 2 and 3 at 7 p.m.

“March 1 was the cutoff date for accepting manuscripts. The plays are all in the hands of the judges right now,” he said. “The whole thing will start next December again, and we’ll be accepting plays throughout basically January, February, and then with the cutoff date the first of March. We try to get the winners out by the first of May, and hopefully this year we’ll have them out before the first of May, but I can’t control what the judges are going to do.”

According to the official rules, authors are encouraged to submit unpublished scripts, which have not been produced before a paying audience. (Authors are encouraged to workshop their plays before submission.) Submissions must run for at least 25 minutes but no longer than 45 minutes. No more than six actors may be used. Plays should have a minimal set to allow for quick set up and tear down (to make it possible to perform more than one play on a production date). Plays must be either original or an adaptation of an existing public domain story. Grady sends solicitations to high schools, colleges, community theaters and libraries around the state.

To receive the rules for the competition, email: mctplayfest@yahoo.com.