In January, sophomore Eric Levitz was awarded a Certificate of Merit from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for his play "Without Parachutes." He won the Region II competition for 10-minute plays, beating out every other play from Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania that entered into the National Playwriting Program.
This weekend, Levitz's play will go up against the winners from eight other regions, though only four others were actually invited to be read. The overall winner will receive $1,000 if selected for the National 10-Minute Play Award, and another $1,000 is available to the winner of the John Cauble Short Play Award, along with the possibility of a publishing contract and catalogue listing.
The News-Letter had the opportunity to ask Levitz about the play, his inspiration and the award.
"Without Parachutes" centers on a couple who finds themselves on a crashing airplane. They flash back to scenes during their meeting and early stages of their courtship, all of which tie smoothly into the experience of the crash.
Levitz said that a plane crash had been in the back of his mind for some time. He said, "Ever since September 11, crashing planes have been a pretty prevalent motif in my dreams. I could be in the middle of doing anything, sitting at the beach, talking with a friend in my living room and then outside the window we'll turn and see a plane crashing. And every time this happens it's always terribly haunting because there's this sensation of horror and then euphoric relief that I am not on the plane and so to me it's just a pretty-looking explosion. Which perhaps is an apt metaphor for watching a play about the end of someone's relationship."
While the finalists all get published, Levitz says that it is "some presumably small company" that will be doing the printing. Although it may not be a national-scale publication, Levitz says he still greatly values the recognition. "The validation of having one's work accepted and appreciated is incredibly valuable for any aspiring artist, or really any one with a vocation. In the three months since being named regional winner, I've completed my second full-length play. I think that the confidence that winning granted me definitley helped me to make that happen."
Levitz was humble about his own chances of winning - there are five competitors, and he says "my chances are 20 percent" - neither undercutting himself nor being boastful.
The five finalists will have their plays read by national Irene Ryan acting scholarship finalists. The reading will take place this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
And what will it mean if Levitz does end up winning? "I'll get a thousand dollars and maybe a trip to Space Camp or something."
