Philadelphia Young Playwrights kicks off the 2009-10 Play Development Series with New Voices: Workshop Productions of students plays and monologues, an annual presentation of student work, in collaboration with Temple University. On October 15, 16 and 17, Greater Philadelphia's most compelling young writers will team up with some the region's most respected theatre artists to have their plays presented at Tomlinson Theater.
Professional theatre artists Seth Bauer, David Bradley, Kevin Glaccum, James Ijames, David Mackay, Danielle Pinnock, Peter Reynolds and Rebecca Wright will direct enhanced workshops of first place winning middle and high school student plays and monologues which were selected from nearly 760 submissions to the 2009 Annual Playwriting Festival. The readings will be performed by undergraduate student actors in the Department of Theater at Temple University.
The plays and monologues by winning student playwrights explore a wide range of subjects and universal themes such as dealing with adversity, learning to love oneself completely, choosing the greater good and more. Participating students come from schools throughout the region, including Northeast Philadelphia's George Washington High School and Little Flower High School, North Philadelphia's General George G. Meade School, Spring Garden's J.R. Masterman School, Center City's Science Leadership Academy, Delaware County's Drexel Hill Middle School and Strath Haven Middle School, and Montgomery County's Cheltenham High School.
Philadelphia Young Playwrights' New Voices: Workshop Productions gives middle and high school playwrights the opportunity to see their work presented in a professional workshop. The student playwrights are at the center of a two-week rehearsal and production process in which they interact directly with the director, dramaturg, actors and stage crew.
2009 Annual Playwriting Festival winners were chosen at each grade level, and each student who submitted a play received detailed comments from theatre professionals who read his or her script. Other staged readings and productions will take place throughout the fall and winter including the upcoming Saturday Morning Reading Series.
Celebrating 23 years of service, Philadelphia Young Playwrights remains the only theatre arts program in the region promoting literacy through playwriting and supporting the development of each student's distinctive voice. The organization's programs provide students with unique opportunities to advance academic and personal skills, share their stories and be heard by their peers and communities. Young Playwrights offers an antidote to decreasing arts education and places an incredibly active learning process in the eager hands of our young people.
For more information about New Voices, including a full schedule of performances, play descriptions and informations on participating students and schools, visit www.phillyyoungplaywrights.org or call 215-665-9226.
