“The Sinker,” a new play by Jami Brandli, won first place in HotCity Theatre’s GreenHouse New Play Festival.

The play was presented in a staged reading at the festival. It will be further developed at a HotCity workshop, and will premier on HotStage’s mainstage in May. HotCity performs at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Directed by Chuck Harper and Annamaria Pileggi, the festival drew a big crowd this year, over 275 people. Four of the five playwrights whose plays were presented also attended, Brandli among them. The festival was held last weekend at the Centene Center for Arts and Education; the winner was announced at a rooftop party on Sunday night.

“The Sinker” deals with a man and a woman who are in love with the same writer. When they find that one of his students has a copy of his novel in her possession, they hold her hostage through a long, disturbing night. Brandli, whose plays have been produced around the country, lives in Los Angeles.