Goshen College's 2008 Peace Plays to explore the impact of 9/11 on lives today

Event: Goshen College Peace Plays – "Here to Serve You" and "29 Question"Ó
Date and time: Oct. 3 at 9 p.m., Oct. 4 at 4 p.m., Oct. 5 at 2 p.m.
Location: Goshen CollegeÕs Umble Center
Cost: All tickets are $3 and can be purchased at the door

GOSHEN, Ind. – Seven years have passed since the Sept. 11 attacks changed America, though daily lives are still impacted by the catastrophic event. The first and second place winners of the 2008 Goshen College Peace Play Contest explored this theme in the plays "Here to Serve You" and "29 Questions," which will be performed on Friday, Oct. 3 at 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. in the college's Umble Center during its Homecoming Weekend.

According to Professor of Communication and Theater Doug Liechty 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.

The winning play, "Here to Serve You" by rising playwright Barbara Lindsay, of Seattle, Wash., plunges the audience into one very madcap day at an off-kilter airport terminal. All it takes is fear, coincidence and one over-eager security officer to demolish the smooth operations of the airport in this comedy.

"I am thrilled to my toes that 'Here to Serve You' has been chosen as winner of the Goshen Peace Play Contest," Lindsay said. "Like most people, I want terribly to make a difference, to do work that matters."

The second place play, "29 Questions" by Hillary Rollins of Santa Monica, Calif., invites the audience deep into the friendship of two women as they wrestle over children, chocolate, distance and frustrated dreams.

The two winners were chosen following two years of submissions from across the country.

Performing "Here to Serve You" are Jacob Landis-Eigsti (freshman, Lakewood, Colo.), Jacob Schlabach (sophomore, St. Paul, Minn.) and Jay Mast (freshman, Goshen).

Performing "29 Questions" will be Joanna Landis (senior, Akron, Pa.) and Emily Swora (senior, Shoreview, Minn.). Directing the two plays will be Patrick Reynolds, a guest artist at Goshen College for the semester.

The running time for both plays combined is about 45 minutes and there will be a 15 to 20 minute talk-back session with Lindsay, the winning playwright, immediately following each performance. All seats are $3 and can be purchased at the door.

The next contest deadline for entering one-act play scripts is Dec. 31, 2009. The winning entry will be produced in 2010. Contact Liechty Caskey for contest rules and guidelines at douglc@goshen.edu, (574) 535-7393, or Goshen College, 1700 S. Main, Goshen, IN 46526.

The Goshen College Peace Play Contest, is underwritten by a grant from the Disciples of Peace, a Middlebury (Ind.) charitable fellowship, established in 1982.

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

-By Tyler Falk

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.