Eisenhower MS, Wyckoff

Congratulations to the 8th grade students at Eisenhower Middle School in Wyckoff. This past Tuesday, April 28th, Playwrights Theatre conducted an in-school assembly performance of selected student-written work. This event was the final celebration of a series of playwriting residencies with playwrights Carolyn Hunt and Dominique Cieri in which every 8th grade student wrote a one-act play.

We had a great time at the school and thank Assistant Principal Steve Raimo for his hospitality and for his continued encouragement of the students' creativity. We look forward to continuing our partnership and working with the students again next year.

Congratulations again!

In the press

Here's a link to an article about the NJ Young Playwrights Festival in The Alternative Press.

http://thealternativepress.com/article.asp?news=2873

As their website states: "TheAlternativePress.com is the all-online hyperlocal daily newspaper of the State of New Jersey, currently serving the residents of Berkeley Heights, Livingston, Madison, Millburn/Short Hills, New Providence, and Summit, New Jersey."

Enjoy!

Beginning to cast

By now, all of our young playwrights with plays scheduled for presentation at the Festival should have been notified and we are beginning the process of casting the shows. I'm hoping to wrap up this process by the end of April.

Also, the response from playwrights' schools has been outstanding! I have received inquiries from all but one school regarding their intent to attend the Festival. This is excellent, but unfortunately also means that we need to limit the number of attendees for school groups and playwrights' for the Junior HS and Elementary reading on May 18th. But this is a great sign that the program is growing!

Junior HS and Elementary winners announced

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Beyond the Paint by Caroline Gelinne, 9th grade, Mount Saint Mary Academy

What We Remember by Melina Murray, 9th grade, Glen Ridge High School

The Art of Interrogation by Fallon Schlossman, Rebecca Van Voorhees, and Lydia Gracey, 8th grade, Millburn Middle School

Star Crossed Lovers by Viraj Khetani, Lindsay Maron, and Anna Gracey, 8th grade, Millburn Middle School

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The Blacksmith's Daughter by Cristina Lopez, 4th grade, Lafayette Elementary School, Chatham

Filched by Salonee Shah and Lindsay Wang, 5th grade, Wildwood Elementary School, Mountain Lakes

Billifride by Owen Mairo, 4th grade, Brookside Place School, Cranford

The Time Machine of Spring Lake by Fiona Purce, 4th grade, Kings Road School, Madison

These plays are listed in no particular order and were selected anonymously. Judges were not provided with any of the playwrights' information.

These plays will be presented as readings during the New Jersey Young Playwrights Festival on Monday, May 18th at 10:00 am on the campus of Kean University in Union, NJ. The Festival is a partnership between Playwrights Theatre and Premiere Stages @ Kean University. This event is free, but reservations are required.If you or your school are interested in attending, please contact the Education Office at Playwrights Theatre at 973-514-1787, ext. 14. As seating is limited, priority will be given to the young playwrights' families and schools. Any other reservations will be made on a waiting list and admittance will be provided as seats become available.

We congratulate all playwrights who submitted their work to the Contest/Festival this year. As with the high school plays, we hope to have the written critiques of Junior HS and Elementary plays in the mail around mid-April.