2nd Place Winner – Flash 405, June 2023: “Crescendo”
Stageplay
Judge’s Comments:
I was already intrigued by the third line of dialogue, with that sharp interruption suggesting the shape of the interpersonal dynamic to follow. I love how this piece depicts tension as a set of misreadings and misjudgments—accumulating in the space between two people at a terrifyingly fast pace, as one person completely fails to see and acknowledge the other. This piece felt very relatable to me.
Playwright Rachael Carnes received a 2020 Oregon Literary Fellowship, a 2020 Oregon Arts Commission Grant, a 2021 Lighthouse Writers Workshop Advanced Dramatic Writing Fellowship, and the 2021 Jane Stevens Award in Theatre. Her work is produced across the U.S., U.K., Middle East, Canada, and Asia; featured in many literary journals; and developed at myriad conferences and festivals. She and her family live in Oregon. www.rachaelcarnes.com
Photo Credit: Warren