(MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- Which play will be voted Audience Favorite – the romance, the thriller, or the comedy?  And which author will take the $500 Judge’s Award?

Join The Theater Project, a professional theater in Maplewood, NJ, when they showcase nine short plays in their fifth annual one-act play competition, THINK FAST, March 22-24, 2019, at the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts. The contest, open to playwrights in the New Jersey-New York area, invites the audience to vote for their favorite short play. Votes are tallied and winners announced at an open reception following the Sunday afternoon performance.

“It’s never an easy decision,” says artistic director Mark Spina. “We have an especially strong line-up, with a great variety of themes and characters.” The company invited submissions last fall and chose nine plays to be showcased in the event. The finalists are Valerie Stack Dodge, Sheila Duane, Joe Godley, George Cameron Grant, Stephen Haworth, John Poglinco, Mike Sockol, Eileen Walsh, and the team of Scott Cohen and Sanam Erfani.

Performances will be Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm and Sunday at 2:00pm. The audience is asked to vote for their favorite plays after each show. A special award for “Audience Favorite” along with the $500 Judges’ Prize will be announced at a reception for all involved after the Sunday, March 24 performance. In addition to Best Play, a panel of judges will also vote on awards for Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Director.

Tickets may be purchased online www.thetheaterproject.org or at the box office before each performance at the Burgdorff Center, 10 Durand Rd, Maplewood, New Jersey.