The Firehouse Theatre Project is proud to present its 2010 Festival of New American Plays.

This eighth annual, national playwriting competition will conclude from Thursday, Jan. 28 through Sunday, Jan. 31 at the Firehouse Theatre at 1609 W. Broad Street in Richmond.

Two outstanding plays have been selected as this year’s finalists from nearly 200 entries submitted by talented playwrights from nearly every state in the country.

Two staged readings of each play will be presented over the four-day festival with the winner being decided after the final reading on Sunday, Jan. 31, by persons who attended performances of both plays. The playwrights will be in attendance and each show will be followed with a discussion involving the audience, cast, director and playwright.

This year’s two finalists are: “The Jag” by Gino DiIorio of New York, N.Y., and “American Pastime“ by Mike Folie of Congers, N.Y. Join us for this exciting event and help decide this year’s festival winner!

A $5 donation at the door is suggested; students free with ID. Reservations are not required. The festival schedule is below:

• Thursday, Jan. 28 – “American Pastime”
• Friday, Jan. 29 – “The Jag”
• Saturday, Jan. 30 – “American Pastime”
• Sunday, Jan. 31 – “The Jag”

All performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and be followed by a discussion including the audience, actors, and director. A $5 donation is suggested; students with valid ID will be admitted free.

The Firehouse Theatre is located at 1609 W.Broad St.; call (804) 355-2001. The information above was provided by the Firehouse Theatre. Click here for more about the festival.