Student Plays Produced in Dobama Festival
May 31, 2016 -- Four CH-UH students were honored and three wrote plays that were selected to be performed in the Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival on June 3 & 5.
The 14 winning plays were selected from the 300 entries from 31 K-12 schools.
The winning student playwrights and their plays: Roxboro fourth-grader Ruby Tugeau wrote The Circus Pilot, Boulevard fifth-grader Harrison Vandall wrote Attack of the Village and Heights High freshman Jon Morrow wrote The Chase.
Honorable Mention went to Monticello seventh-grader Maple Buescher who wrote I’m Going To Steal The Queen’s Crown.
Ruby and Harrison’s plays will also be produced at The Best of the Fest Dobama Benefit at Cain Park on Wednesday, July 20, at noon.
Jon’s play is about a young black man’s interaction with a police officer.
The comments from one of the judges addressed Jon’s use of language and plot:
The playwright shows sophistication in language use by employing hyperbole and exaggeration in the way the police officer responds to his second encounter with the young man. The playwright does this to highlight how quickly ordinary circumstances can lead to tragedy.
Jon is part of the Future Leading Youth (FLY) after school program at Heights High that encourages academic and civic leadership. The program partners with The Center for Arts-Inspired Learning and the organization’s visiting artists. Theater Artist Jimmie Woody guided the students as they wrote a play and helped them understand the elements of producing their own work.
On June 3, 7:00 p.m., all of the winning plays will be showcased at Dobama Theater’s Opening Night and Awards ceremony, 2340 Lee Rd.
The plays will also play for free over the June 4-5 weekend.
For more information, see the Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival.