Touchstone Theatre's 5th Annual Young Playwrights’ Festival & Gala to be Held 5/1

Once a year, Touchstone Theatre showcases the creative writing talents of Lehigh Valley elementary & middle school students by staging their one-act plays with professional direction and design in the Diamond Theater at Zoellner Arts Center. The Young Playwrights' Festival & Gala is May 1 at 7:30pm, and marks the culmination of the Touchstone's Young Playwrights' Lab, an 8-week residency developed by Bethlehem Area School District teachers and Touchstone teaching artists to inspire literacy among local students.

At the festival, a collection of plays are performed by Touchstone actors and local performers, and directed by the Touchstone Ensemble and guest directors. This year's guest directors include George Miller of Blue Selkies and Christopher Michael Morris of Lehigh Valley Performing Arts High School. Festival tickets are $10 and are available at the door, or in advance through touchstone.org, lvartsboxoffice.org or by calling 610-867-1689.

Directly following the festival, a Gala Dessert Reception & Live Auction will be held in the Lehigh University Art Gallery. Guests will enjoy decadent desserts and wine, while viewing the current exhibit, and can join in on the bidding of one-of-a kind items and luxury experiences. Gala tickets (festival included) are $75 and are available through April 20. All proceeds benefit Touchstone and its educational programs.

"To many loyal supporters of this program, The Young Playwrights' Festival is the most magical night of theatre of the year," says Lou Cinquino, Festival Committee Chair. "And the Gala Reception that follows the performance makes it possible for Touchstone to maintain this program - one of the Valley's signature arts education programs."

The Young Playwrights' Lab (YPL) had a record number of residencies in local schools this year. Central Elementary School in Allentown hosted two YPL after-school programs, in fall and spring semesters. Both Donegan Elementary and Freemansburg Elementary in Bethlehem participated again this year, and Saucon Valley Middle School hosted a program for the first time. Evanyl Burgos, a teacher at Donegan, explains, "The most valuable part of this session was watching these students who might have a tough time expressing themselves...in the regular classroom...do a fantastic job in this program. The proof is watching them write, revise, type, and create a final copy of their own plays." To learn more about YPL and the annual Festival & Gala, visit the YPL blog or watch this video.

TICKETS: $10 (Festival only) or $75 (Festival and Gala Dessert Reception/Live Auction) in advance through touchstone.org or lvartsboxoffice.org or by calling the Touchstone Box Office (8-5, M-F): 610-867-1689. Only Festival tickets may be purchased at the door, Gala tickets must purchased by April 20.

The Lehigh Valley community has been reaching out to support the Festival, with sponsorships confirmed by: Capital Blue Cross, Parente Beard, Valley Graphics, and Thom Hogan/bythom.com. Auction items have been donated by the Lehigh University Art Galleries, the Rodale Institute, and Stone Soup Studios, among others.
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Photo Courtesy of Touchstone Theatre