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WILLIAM “BILL” H. MCCANN JR
KENTUCKY PLAYWRIGHT & WRITER

COLUMNS, FEATURES & OP-EDS
William “Bill” H. McCann Jr. has had work published in The Winchester Sun, The Northern Kentucky Tribune, and KY Forward.
ARTS COLUMNS
Published in The Winchester Sun
2022
Click the stories below to read the arts columns published in 2022
2021
Click the stories below to read the arts columns published in 2021.
Three questions for Chris Cathers
Books, a radio play, and remembering a Kentucky playwright
Congratulations and . . . auditions!
Normalcy is returning . . . slowly
More normalcy returns to the arts
Are you television material?
Coming back one play at a time
Arts’ Watch: KTA new play contest finalists: Winner’s all
Arts’ Watch: Actors Equity reports on diversity, equity, and inclusion
2020
Click the stories below to read the arts columns published in 2020.
Unity, Boone and a Second Thursday
Pioneer Playhouse to host shortened season beginning Friday
Three questions for Maurice Manning
Year of the Woman, Warhol and more
Three questions of playwright Tina Howe
It’s fall, and time to submit your best work to Kentucky journals
This weekend — Art, music and vintage baseball
Honoring National Poetry Month with some Winchester poets
Artists depict the reality of being black in America
Escaping enslavement: Two book reviews
3 questions for new artistic director at ATL
Creativity in Quarantine — Welcome Leeds’ new zine
Summer arts in Winchester and elsewhere around Kentucky
2019
Click the stories below to read the arts columns published in 2019.
Q & A with playwright Ain Gordon
GRC speech team raising money for tournaments
Plenty of arts to uncover in region
Looking at National Poetry Month
‘Tis the season to enjoy the arts outdoors
Heritage Days honors Clark Countian
Clark County Fair: Show off your art work
Lights, literature and live nativities abound in Ky
3 questions: Creative Industry Summit
Kentucky Book Fair has become a festival
Halloween brings treats, scares
It’s all about plays, playwrights in Ky. this month
Fall season abound with arts events
Fall festivals, Makers Mark and fences
Dulcimer festival, comedy highlight weekend festivities
Berea: Fun for everyone who like the arts
FEATURES
Published in the Northern Kentucky Tribune
NORTHERN KENTUCKY, GREATER CINCINNATI PLAYWRIGHTS OFFER INSIGHT INTO WHY THEY WRITE PLAYS
For most theatre professionals, their world is on hiatus. For the indefinite future theatres are shuttered on Broadway in New York City as well as in large cities and small towns all across America where high school musicals and community theatre productions are the weekend norm. Indeed, actors, directors, designers and crew are largely shut out; only playwrights can work regularly in such a theatre environment.
The Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati region has playwrights galore writing on every topic imaginable. Their works are winning awards and productions across the region and the nation. So I asked them each the same question: why did you become a playwright?
Published in KY Forward
WILLIAM MCCANN: KENTUCKY CRAFTED MARKET STAGE SHOULD FEATURE MORE THAN JUST PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS
The Kentucky Crafted Market — March 15-17, Kentucky Horse Park, Altech Arena, Lexington — is a wonderful opportunity for the state’s many talented craftspeople — whether dulcimer makers, quilters or woodworkers, etc. — and Kentucky Proud farmers to have the spotlight and make the money and contacts that allow them to succeed. Additionally, this year the Market is going to feature two days of music by some of the Commonwealth’s many fine musicians. What a great idea!
But why is the performance stage going to ONLY feature professional musicians?
OPINION
Published in KY Forward
WILLIAM MCCANN: KENTUCKY CRAFTED MARKET STAGE SHOULD FEATURE MORE THAN JUST PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS
The Kentucky Crafted Market — March 15-17, Kentucky Horse Park, Altech Arena, Lexington — is a wonderful opportunity for the state’s many talented craftspeople — whether dulcimer makers, quilters or woodworkers, etc. — and Kentucky Proud farmers to have the spotlight and make the money and contacts that allow them to succeed. Additionally, this year the Market is going to feature two days of music by some of the Commonwealth’s many fine musicians. What a great idea!
Published in Northern Kentucky Tribune
WILLIAM MCCANN: ONCE WORTHY ONLY OF BEING IGNORED, KENTUCKY’S THEATRICAL LIGHTS SHINE BRIGHT
Perhaps, once upon a time or in a galaxy far, far away, Kentucky’s theatre arts world was viewed from outside as insignificant and worthy only of being ignored. But our playwrights and theatres have always been artistic bright lights.