Mystery Writers Fest picks plays

Event to include newly discovered Christie play

By GORDON COX

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The first outing of the Intl. Mystery Writers Fest, which centers on reviving the dying breed of legit mysteries, yielded three plays last year that went on to score noms for the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Awards.

The three shows -- "If/Then" by David Foley, "Panic" by Joseph Goodrich and "Books" by Stuart M. Kaminsky -- are the only three works in the Edgar category of best play.

Second edition of the fest, held in June in Owenboro, Kent., and co-chaired by former Broadway producer Zev Buffman, will include a newly discovered play by Agatha Christie and a new Sherlock Holmes play, "The Final Toast," written by Kaminsky.

The 62nd annual Edgar Awards are handed out May 1 in Gotham.