THE contest that asks budding playwrights if they want to be famous for 15 minutes has returned to the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society (BMDS).

The first Famous For 15 Minutes New Play and Contest Festival was held last year and was met with great success - both in terms of the works submitted and their audience appeal - according to Tom Coash (pictured), the festival's co-producer and co-director.

"We are looking for a few good, short plays," he said this week. "There was a huge amount of interest in the festival last year. In fact, we extended the run for several performances. All of the playwrights were brand-new to playwriting and had a tremendous time seeing their plays performed. The festival played to sold-out houses and was one of the most popular events at BMDS last year."

In order to enter, writers must submit short, one-act plays of 15 minutes or less via mail to BMDS or deliver by hand, to the Daylesford Theatre Annex on Dundonald Street, located next to the Olympic Club, prior to December 1. Finalists will be chosen by a committee and will have their plays fully produced as part of the festival, which is to be staged in February of next year at the newly-renovated Daylesford Theatre. One finalist will be selected based on the merit of his or her work, by a celebrity judge.

"Last year's extremely successful contest had 27 entries and was judged by Canada's leading playwright, Norm Foster," Mr. Coash said.

"Island resident Marg Hammond's startling and very memorable play about a serial killer, entitled Last Supper, was judged the best of the festival and awarded the Golden Inkwell and a cash prize of $250.

"The great thing is that anybody resident in Bermuda can enter, whether you have ever had any theatre experience or not. If you enjoy writing and have a secret desire to write a play, this is your big chance. We particularly encourage students - high school and college age - to try their hands. One of last year's most popular plays was written by a Bermuda College student and we would love to get more students involved in the festival and in our theatre programmes here at BMDS."

Last year's festival, Mr. Coash added, was supported by a generous grant from the Bank of Bermuda Foundation, with all proceeds going to the BMDS Foundation for the Advancement of Performing Arts in Bermuda. For those interested in submitting their works:

l They must be typed and in standard play format - for those in doubt, examples are available at the Daylesford Annex located next to the Olympic Club.

Plays should involve no more than four actors.

Backgrounds should be kept simple.

No more than two entries per person.

The writer must be a resident of Bermuda.

Each entry should include the playwright's name and contact information on the title page.

For more information on the festival, contact Tom Coash at 292-8253 or via e-mail, coashnorthrock.bm or, Kelvin Hastings-Smith at 238-8102 or via e-mail at khastingsask.bm