June 26, 2012 > Playwriting Cage Match at Douglas Morrisson Playwriting Cage Match at Douglas Morrisson Submitted By Susan E. Evans The Douglas Morrisson Theatre (DMT) in Hayward proudly announces its first Playwriting Cage Match on Monday, July 2. Five playwrights enter but only one will emerge victorious! A month and half ago, DMT began asking for submissions to our first playwriting contest, Tales of the Hairless Raccoon. The only requirements for aspiring contributors: the scenes could be no longer than 20 minutes, have no more than four characters and be set at the fictional Hairless Raccoon Saloon, an out-of-the-way, hole-in-the-wall, dive bar somewhere in Northern Mississippi. We're thrilled with the response; we've had entries from all over the U.S., and even a couple from abroad. And the entries are still coming in! The Douglas Morrisson Theatre is a program and facility of the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District. We're in a gorgeous wooded area of Hayward, right next to some Japanese gardens. But woods tend to attract wildlife, and that means deer, wild turkeys, possums and, yes, raccoons, even one of the hairless variety, thus inspiring our theatre staff. DMT Artistic Director Susan E. Evans will pick the top five submissions and each of the five gets one rehearsal. On July 2, the scenes go head-to-head at a live staged reading event at the theatre. Our audience decides the winner. Admission for the reading is free and it's just $5 for a ballot to cast a vote. The Hairless Raccoon Saloon promises to be full of surprises! The Douglas Morrisson Theatre is located at 22311 N. Third St. in Hayward, next to the Senior Center and the Japanese Gardens. The Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday, 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and can be reached at (510) 881-6777. Information is also available at www.dmtonline.org. Playwriting Cage Match: "Tales of the Hairless Raccoon" Monday, July 2 8 p.m. Douglas Morrisson Theatre 22311 N. Third St., Hayward (510) 881-6777 www.dmtonline.org Free admission; $5 for a voting ballot