Former Butler resident Don Orwald has played many characters, including Gen. Richard Butler. He will present a show consisting of four 1-act plays in June at Succop Theater.

Former Butler resident Don Orwald has acted in and directed shows for the Butler Little Theatre and Musical Theatre Guild. Nowadays, though, he prefers the role of writer.

"I'm bringing two of the finalists from the New Works Festival in Pittsburgh to BC3 and those two plays will form the first act," Orwald said. "Act II will consist of two plays by me, one the Writer's Digest first prize winner for 2007, the other a work in progress called 'Armageddon Forgiven,' a full-length play about the shootings of the Amish girls in Lancaster, Pa. I'm planning to do an act of that play combining it with the prize winner for Act II."

His "Writer's Digest" winning entry is titled "Hungarian Rhapsody: An Electroglide in Blue."

Orwald, who now lives in Granbury, Texas, wants to use the evening as a way to test the scripts on an audience.

He also hopes to use the event to raise money to finance taking the Amish play to the Fringe Festival in New York City in 2008 and possibly to the Fringe Festival in Scotland in 2009.

Right now Orwald is seeking volunteer actors, directors and stage crews to put on the one-acts.

"The finalists from the New Works '07 have both been presented to audiences and will have all or part of the original casts. I know both authors and each has given me the OK to do some rewrite on each play which I will do. The other two plays have yet to be staged and are currently at the point of needing to be cast," he said.

Orwald received some funding to be able to do the show at Butler County Community College from an unexpected source.

"I received a check posthumously from my old friend Mary Jo Mohn Covert, long time supporter of all theater in the Butler area. She worked with me on many productions at Knoch and summer shows I did at BC3, as well as BLT and MTG shows," Orwald said.

Covert died several years ago, but Orwald recently received a check from her husband, Ray.

"I had no idea that was going to happen, but in a note, Ray said Mary Jo wanted me to have that money. So with Ray's OK, I'd like to do the evening in memoriam honoring her," Orwald said.

People who would like to work on the show must be available evenings the week of June 16. The staging will take place either June 20 or 21. Orwald will be working with Larry Stock, Succop Theater director, to put on the show.

Orwald is a graduate of Slippery Rock University and Indian (Pa.)University. He is a former Knoch High School teacher and was active in the Butler Little Theatre, Musical Theater Guild and Freeport Theater Festival.

He also appeared as Gen. Richard Butler for Butler County's bicentennial celebration.

For more information, call Orwald at 817-559-2743, send mail to him at 5327 Mission Circle, Granbury, TX 76049, or send e-mail to donaldorwald@itexas.net.