2021 PCTG New Play Award Winner: Cat Napper by Kwik Jones

We are very proud to announce our New Play Award Winner for the 2021 Fertile Ground: A City-Wide Festival of New Works, Cat Napper by Kwik Jones 

Cat Napper will be produced as a virtual staged reading by PCTG as part of the 2021 Fertile Ground Festival of New Works. This will be a free event available to be viewed online in February. 

Cat Napper is a mystery thriller with more than a bit of comedy. It centers around newly hired Special Detective Crystal Beck. Beck, under orders from the Mayor himself, must partner with not-too-pleased veteran Detective Gribbs, to solve a series of mysterious catnappings. With the odds stacked against her, Beck’s simple cat case leads her to the homes of the city’s richest, most powerful, and dangerous politicians. Money, Power, Politics, and Cats! 

Playwright Kwik Jones, a Jefferson High School graduate, originally intended to play football for Eastern Oregon College. An ankle injury forced him to resign from the team, much to the dismay of his coach, who mocked his decision. The coach’s response inspired Jones to write and direct his first play, Both Sides of the Fence. Jones continued his theatre education at Chicago’s Columbia College Film School, and at Goddard College, in Plainfield, Vermont, under Catherine Weidner. Eventually, Jones returned to Oregon, and continued his theatre studies at Mt. Hood Community College. Jones has written over thirty plays, as well as directing and producing thirteen of them. His most recent production, Voices, played to sold out audiences. His philosophy is “Art imitates life”, and he is always taking notes. 

The Portland Civic Theatre Guild is also very pleased to recognize our six finalists for their outstanding works: 

An Actively Uninhabited House by Steve Patterson 

Bilbo by Sean Morgan 

Bryn Mawr Women by Thomas Mason 

Coffee Cafe by C.S. Whitcomb 

Run of House by Audrey Block 

Russian Troll by Rich Rubin 

2021 marks the ninth year of the Portland Civic Theatre Guild’s commitment to Portland area playwrights and new works through our New Play Award. Each spring the Guild calls for submissions from Portland area playwrights, selects a new script, and provides everything the playwright needs to bring the new work from the page to the stage.