Theatre Odyssey is pleased to present four plays selected 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 beginning at 7:30PM and will be followed by a brief play writing workshop as the jury meets to select the winning play. The venue is 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 Ten Minute Play Festival on March 29th, 30th and 31st.
“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. We are so pleased that for the first time in our history, we have Season Sponsors and thanks to the generosity of SCENE Magazine, Gerri Aaron and Gulf Coast Community Foundation, we are able to reach these new, young emerging playwrights and produce their work.”
The four plays selected for the 2013 Student 10 Minute Play Festival are:
- Recess by Joseph Grosso, Kasey Blanco and Jillian Smith, Lakewood Ranch HS
- The Date by Kemery Colbert, Saint Stephens
- Friends Forever by Francesca DiMaio, Melina Cuffaro and Amanda Robbins, Lakewood Ranch HS
- Therapy by Summer Begalka and Sabrina Viota, Saint Stephens
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.
The festival is open to the public, however a $5 donation will be accepted at the door. Please call (941) 799-7724 for more details.
