Prince Gomolvilas wins international prize

THE winner of the International Herald Tribune (IHT)/Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) International Playwright Competition was announced yesterday at the Raffles Hotel.

Thai-American playwright, Prince Gomolvilas, won US$ 15,000 (S$ 25,000), the largest cash prize ever offered for an Asian themed playwriting contest.

Mr Sheridan Morley, HT's drama critic and one of the judges, who was in town to give talks, said that the generous prize was justified: "It is difficult for new playwrights to get started. There is no source of income during the conception of the plays, so we hope to support them as much as possible."

The competition was conceived by SRT as part of its ongoing effort to develop a world-class body of plays by and about Asians.

The worldwide search for an outstanding play on "the modern Asian identity" began in Singapore last year.

The winning play, The Theory Of Everything, is the tale of seven Asian-Americans who meet their destiny during one unusual weekend on the roof of
a Las Vegas wedding chapel.

An ecstatic Mr Gomolvilas cited Las Vegas and UFOs as the main ingredients for his play; two things which he has been "obsessed with his entire life".

Mr Gomolvilas, who is in his late 20s, is based in San Francisco, California. He has previously authored Big Hunk O' Burning Love, which premiered at East West Players in 1998.

SRT's artistic director, Mr Tony Petito, said: "We received more than 100
entries from all corners of the globe. People are thinking about what it means
to be Asian at the close of the millennium, and writing about it. That's a good
sign for the future."

The international panel of judges comprised Mr Morley, David Henry Hwang, Philip Kan Gotanda and Singaporean lecturer and critic Chin Woon Ping.

The Theory Of Everything will be staged by SRT next year.