Ned O’Neill 

Wins Playwright Competition 

A staged reading of Mary Surratt, The True Story of a Civil War Combatant was held April 19, 2008 at the Lakewood Center for the Arts.  

Written by Los Angeles playwright Ned O’Neill, the play was the winning submission in the Sixth Annual Playwright Competition presented by the Lake Oswego Foundation for the Arts and the Lakewood Theatre Company. 

The play represents a contemporary dramatization of the trial of Mary Surratt who was hanged as a conspirator in the Lincoln assassination because of her association with John Wilkes Booth.  Characters representing Japanese interned during World War II and prisoners held at Guantanamo today draw historical parallels and add commentary about our society’s willingness to assign guilt by association in times of national crisis. Congratulations to Ned O’Neill for this accomplishment. 

 Start writing your plays for next year’s competition. 

 

Warren W. Oliver, Prominent Lakewood Board Member, Passes Away

 

During his board service (1983- 1997), Warren served as Treasurer and as President. In 1987, while President, he led a contingent of Lakewood board, staff and volunteers on a rented school bus to proudly make the final payment to the School District for the purchase of the building.  After his board term, Warren served on our Stage House Fundraising Committee and later on our Advisory Board. In addition, he helped found the annual Lobster Feed & Charity Auction that Lakewood jointly stages with the Rotary Club. Warren was an integral force in helping Lakewood become the success that it is today. His wisdom, advocacy, plain speaking and sense of humor will be greatly missed.