Circle Theatre Announces Finalists for 2017 High School Playwriting Project

Circle Theatre has announced the four finalists' and four semi-finalists' plays in the annual High School Playwriting Project.

Finalists (listed alphabetically by playwright):

Caroline Cabe, Daugther, Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts
Teacher: Lindy Davis

Finn Connor, Three, Fort Worth Country Day
Teacher: Melodee Halbach

Hayden Hart, Isolation, Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts
Teacher: Lindy Davis

Dylan Walker, 'Til Death Do Us Part, Haltom High School
Teacher: Renee Norris

Semi-finalists (listed alphabetically by playwright):

Chloe Gilpin, Plastic Family, Fort Worth Country Day
Teacher: Melodee Halbach

Priscilla Kettle and Rebecca Samartin, The Day the Music Died, Boswell High School
Teacher: Melissa Wallis

Rachael Ogburn and Ayden Grzybowski, D.A., Boswell High School
Teacher: Melissa Wallis

Dell Stevens, Man of Three Shadows, Haltom High School
Teacher: Renee Norris

Finalist Carroll Perry talks to Director Alan Shorter during the 2015-2016 High School Playwriting Project's public reading last year. A public reading of the four finalist plays will take place at 3pm on Sunday, May 7th at Circle Theatre. Texas Christian University theatre professor, Alan Shorter, will direct the readings. A reception honoring the students and their teachers will immediately follow the readings and awards ceremony.

There were 62 scripts submitted from Boswell High School; Carroll Senior High School; Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts; Fort Worth Country Day; Grace Prep Academy; Haltom High School; Trimble Tech; and Western Hills High School.

The annual High School Playwriting Project public reading is free of charge and open to the general public, as well as families and friends of the playwrights. Finalist and semi-finalist students and their teachers will receive cash stipends, certificates, trophies, and complimentary theatre tickets as an acknowledgement of their participation and accomplishment. Additionally, Texas Wesleyan University is offering an academic scholarship to the finalist playwrights, should they choose to attend the University and are accepted into the school.

For further information or to reserve general admission seating, call 817.877.3040, from 12pm - 5pm, Tuesday through Friday. Circle Theatre is located in Sundance Square at 230 West 4th Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102.

The High School Playwriting Project began as a collaboration between Rose Pearson and Larry Boston (an Eastern Hills High School theatre teacher) in 1996. When Mr. Boston received a playwriting scholarship award from the Star-Telegram, he approached Ms. Pearson with the idea of having readings of his students' plays at Circle Theatre, presented by a professional director and cast of actors. These readings expanded into what is now known as the High School Playwriting Project.

Each year, the project begins with invitations to area high school teachers and students to enter 10-minute scripts for evaluation by an experienced panel of judges. These judges read the anonymously submitted plays, write responses for each script, and choose 20 plays to send to Connie Whitt-Lambert, theatre professor at Texas Wesleyan University. This year's panel of judges included Devin Berg, Jovane Caamaño, Stefany Cambra, Kim Cantrell, Roger Drummond, Kelsey Ervi, Lauren Ferebee, Steven McGaw, Nicole Neely, Katreeva Phillips, Ernestine Rose, and Shane Strawbridge.

Connie Whitt-Lambert and her playwriting students then provide written analyses for each of the selected twenty plays. From these twenty submissions, four playwrights are then invited to the Wesleyan campus for additional discussions about their work. This provides the students with an opportunity to edit their original submissions. "This year's entries show a variety of subject matter and an amazing amount of maturity. And, simply put: they were a lot of fun to read. They kept me entertained and impressed with their talent," Connie says.

The High School Playwriting Project is open to all students and is not limited to theatre classes. Teachers or students wishing to participate in next year's playwriting project may email timlong@circletheatre.com.

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