Theatre Odyssey is pleased to announce the finalists for its first annual high school student 10-minute play festival. Board member and Saint Stephens Drama Teacher Preston Boyd has been leading the effort which was open to all students grades 9-12 in Sarasota and Manatee counties. The plays will be presented on Friday, January 25, 2013 at the David S. and Ann V. Howard Studio Theatre located on the State College of Florida Bradenton Campus. A cash prize of $300.00 will be presented to the winner, along with a rotating trophy for display at their school. In addition the winning play will be presented as part of Theatre Odyssey’s 2013 10-Minute Play Festival in April.
“Theatre Odyssey is thrilled to add a student 10-minute play festival as a community outreach project,” explained Board President Catherine Randazzo. “It’s the perfect way to expand our programming. Our spring Festival supports playwrights, theater and actors, giving them a vehicle to present their art. We are excited about the opportunity to take that experience and pass it down to students who may want to pursue the theater arts.”
Submissions were evaluated by readers chosen from the Sarasota/Manatee theater community. Readers did not know the names of the playwrights or their schools. After scoring each submission, the four plays selected for the 2013 Ten-Minute Play Festival are:
- Untitled by Joseph Grosso, Kasey Blanco and Jillian Smith, Lakewood Ranch HS
- The Date by Kemery Colbert, Saint Stephens
- Therapy by Summer Begalka and Sabrina Viota, Saint Stephens
- Friends Forever by Francesca DiMaio, Melina Cuffaro and Amanda Robbins, Lakewood Ranch HS
A prestigious jury has been selected to choose the winner on January 25. They are Jay Handelman, Sarasota Herald Tribune Theater Critic, Howard Millman, director and former Producing Artist Director at the Asolo Repertory Theatre, Ken Erickson, director of theater at State College of Florida, Manatee, and Tami Vaughan. Professional directors have volunteered to direct the work.
Auditions for actors to present the work at the festival will be held on Sunday and Monday, December 16-17 at State College of Florida, in Bradenton from 6:00-8:00 pm in the Collegiate School, Building 19. For more information email info@theatreodyssey.org or call 941-799-7224.
“We want to give these young playwrights a complete experience,” continued Randazzo. “Seeing professional actors perform their work, after being directed by professional directors should be very inspiring and motivating. Theatre Odyssey is very excited to provide this opportunity which we hope to grow year after year.”
