The Italian American Theatre of Chicago announces a tie for first place in its First Annual Playwriting Competition. It proved to be impossible to pick between two outstanding works: Passaggio Oscuro (Dark Passage) by Rosemary FrisinoToohey and The Diagonal Trilogy by Vita Patrick Morales.

Gold Medal Winners

Passaggio Oscuro explores the little-known fact of the internment of Italian Americans on the West Coast after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Tracing its impact on three families from different walks of life, the play evokes a time when being Italian American was grounds for suspicion and “blending in” seemed a practical alternative. Ms. FrisinoToohey is a multiple-award-winning playwright whose plays (and musical) have been produced across the globe from New York to New Zealand.