High School Reading

On Tuesday, May 19th, we staged the four plays from the High School Division (photos from the tech rehearsal can be found a few posts below this one). As a staged-reading, the actors still performed with a script in hand, but we were able to add some blocking and minimal production details like sound and lights to give a sense of what the play might be like on stage. The tech staff at Kean was great and really gave us a lot to work with in a very little amount of time.

I spoke with the playwrights after the performance and it sounded like they came away from the show with a few new ideas about the piece, and perhaps some inspiration for a new play down the line. I've asked them to write about their experience in the Festival and I hope to have those pieces on the blog during the summer. So stay tuned!

Here are some pictures of the playwrights and cast after the performance:


(From l - r) Tyler McGuckin, Jennifer Woods, Ben Muzi, and Samantha Berstler.



Playwrights and casts.

Junior HS and Elementary Reading

The Festival performances began on Monday, May 18 with a reading of the plays from the Junior HS and Elementary School Divisions - 8 plays in total! As a reading, the actors performed with their scripts on stands at the front of the stage. Costume pieces like hats, or glasses, and some props were used to indicate locations, or other important bits of information. Presenting plays in a format like this allows the audience to imagine the look of the story while placing the script itself into the spotlight. I think it makes for a much more personal experience for each audience member.

These eight plays were terrific! The audience laughed a lot and applauded a great deal. At the end of the reading, we presented certificates to the thirteen playwrights (three of the plays were written by a duo or trio!) and a representative from each school. Here are some pictures of the playwrights...


Elementary School playwrights (grades 4-6)


Junior HS playwrights (grades 7-9)


Junior HS playwrights and the cast.

Congratulations again to all of the playwrights!

Tech Rehearsal Photos

Here are some pictures from the high school division tech rehearsals on Monday afternoon.

'TIL DEATH DO US PART by Jennifer Woods

Tara Henderson as Madison and Jonathan Silver as Caleb.

SUITCASE by Tyler McGuckin

Scott Morales as O'Connell and Jonathan Silver as Cohen.

(That first picture is of O'Connell attacking Cohen. Blurry, but a neat picture.)

REQUIEM by Samantha Berstler

(l - r) Alannah Potter as Hero, Paul Reisman as Man, and Jack Moran as Poet.

ABOUT TO POP! by Ben Muzi

(l - r) Jeff Ronan as Andy, Jane Keitel as Miss Henderson, and Jack Moran as Mr. Jones.

Day Two Photos

Some pictures from rehearsal on Sunday morning...

Jack Moran (left) and Paul Reisman (right) rehearse a scene from Requiem.

Alannah Potter and Jack Moran rehearse Requiem.

Stephen Davis and Tyler McGuckin watch rehearsal of Tyler's play, Suitcase.

Jonathan Silver (left) and Scott Morales (right) rehearse Suitcase.

Pictures from tech posted tomorrow!