At one time, aspiring Sudbury playwrights had to leave the city to pursue their craft, according to Sudbury Theatre Centre's playwright-in-residence.
But with amateur theatre companies popping up all over the Nickel City, there's never been more opportunities for these writers, Matthew Heiti said.
His own play, "Mucking in the Drift," was featured on Sudbury Theatre Centre's main stage last fall — a first for a local playwright.
Heiti aspires to give other playwrights a hand-up — thus boosting the local theatre scene — through Sudbury Theatre Centre's Playwrights' Junction.
For the past three years, Heiti has taken a small group of aspiring playwrights and taught them the craft. A few past members of these groups are getting close to having their plays produced.
The public gets a peek at what the latest Playwrights' Junction has been doing for the past 12 weeks Jan. 20, at at event called Last Stop. Actors will read through the one-act plays written by the group's eight members.
The plays focus on everything from Italian immigrants in Copper Cliff to hijinks at a veterinary clinic.
“There's a real mixture of drama and comedy,” Heiti said.
Last Stop takes place starting at 7 p.m. at Sudbury Theatre Centre. Admission is by donation. For more information, phone the theatre at 705-674-8381 or search for Last Stop on Facebook.
@heidi_ulrichsen