How the final season was determined

Final play selection for Short+Sweet is ultimately determined from shortlisted works by the directors of the season.

The process works like this – Top 30 directors are sourced and selected. The best 50 plays from the Shortlist, as determined by the assessor’s scores, are forwarded with playwright’s names removed.

Each director then reads the plays and reports their top FOUR preferences - in order - of the plays they would like to direct.

Top 30 director's preferences were allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Many directors received their first preference.

Once all directors submitted their choices and the plays were allocated accordingly, the directors were notified of the playwright’s name and contact details. Once all directors had been assigned plays, the season was finalised.

The Short+Sweet Artistic Team then programs the plays depending on factors like director availability and overall composition of the season (i.e. determining there is a good balance of theatrical styles in each individual program of plays).

Shortlisted writers were then informed of whether their play had been included in the final season for Short+Sweet Singapore.

If a writer had more than one play shortlisted, the first play selected by a director was programmed into the Top 30. The second most selected play by the same writer was then programmed into the Staged Readings 20. If a writer had more than 2 plays on the shortlist, the remaining play(s) were then eliminated. No writers have more than 1 play in the Top 30 and 1 play in the Staged Readings 20.

2008 Gala Final Results

10 Plays that made it to 2008 Gala Final

Singapore Straits Times (5 June 2008)