Academy at Palumbo to Present Regional Premiere of PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN, 12/11

Roundabout Theatre Company and Education at Roundabout are pleased to announce that the Academy at Palumbo in Philadelphia, PA will present the regional premiere of PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN. Written by Daniel Robert Sullivan and a team of New York City teenagers, PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN was developed in partnership with Education at Roundabout and the Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowships. The play will have its world premiere in 22 high school productions across the country, September 2015 - May 2016.

Academy at Palumbo will present the play on December 11th at 6:00 PM. Tickets are $5.00. The performance will take place on the 5th floor of the school at 1100 Catherine St., Philadelphia, PA 19147. Call 215-351-7618 for more information.

The Academy at Palumbo production will be helmed by teacher and director, Annisa Weinraub.

Says Weinraub, "We're gearing up for our show. This is the first full length play that our school has produced, as I'm new to the school and, thus, so is our Drama Department. My principal handed me an unused room - picture an ugly concrete box with florescent lighting and an echo like the Grand Canyon - and we've since transformed it into a DIY-style Black Box Theater. Yesterday, as we were painting sets and teetering on the ladder to hang lights, it struck me that all of our equipment has essentially been donated from grants I've written or performance fundraisers the students have done. In many ways, the themes of PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN mirror our own situation - students striving to reach their fullest dreams, abilities, and humanity all while being stuck within the dysfunction of our present-day underfunded urban schools. Philadelphia's public schools are criminally underfunded by our lawmakers, and yet, our students work everyday to make the most of their lives - just like the characters in the play. I remember how crucial it was for me back in high school to have opportunities to perform, express myself, and rise to the myriad challenges that live theater throws at young actors. I want these Philadelphia students to have all the opportunities that I had - that suburban students who live just 10 miles away from our school have. At times it feels like our urban public schools have been consigned to a slow death, and yet our collective efforts at making meaningful art are a mechanism of breathing life back into them. We're excited about our production and looking forward to the thrill of performance that we'll feel next week!"

Conceived by Daniel Robert Sullivan (Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys, Author of Places Please!) and co-written by a team of New York City teenagers, the play focuses on four intelligent, highly charged students and one seriously apathetic teacher. PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN was created with the intent of offering a new collection of serious, true-to-life material for teenage actors. The play addresses themes of apathy, revenge, deep friendship, trans acceptance, casual racism, self-harm, and the power of both good and bad advice from teachers, all against the backdrop of an enormous Brooklyn high school. PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN can be performed by 5 - 18 actors.

"The National New Play Network introduced the concept of a rolling world premiere in 1998, and I've always thought it would be great to offer that kind of arrangement to high schools. There is so much energy and power in teenage theatre-makers, but that positive force is often felt only locally. By introducing this fierce new play to the nation's high schools in a coordinated way, Roundabout is not only promoting the play with positive publicity, but the schools themselves. After much research, we chose 22 of the boldest high school theatre departments from across the country and can use this first-ever high school rolling world premier to recognize them and expose their power at a national level," notes creator Daniel Robert Sullivan.

PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN was recently awarded semi-finalist status for the 2015 National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Center and has been published by Smith & Kraus.

Sullivan adds, "I wanted to create an issue-driven, age-appropriate, ethnically-diverse, flexible-cast play that represents the extremes inherent in an urban high school environment. Through nine months of collaboration, these teenagers have introduced me to the issues and debates most important to them. We've structured these conversations into the play."

The following productions are currently scheduled for the 2015-16 academic year:

- Indianapolis: Broad Ripple Magnet High School for the Arts and Humanities (September 2015)

- Memphis: Ridgeway High School (November 2015)

- Syracuse: Corcoran High School (November 2015)

- Philadelphia: Academy at Palumbo (December 2015)

- Providence: Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts (December 2015)

- Boston: Boston Arts Academy (December 2015)

- Bridgeport: Central High School (December 2015)

- Harrisburg: Capital Area School for the Arts (December 2015)

- Milwaukee: Milwaukee High School of the Arts (December 2015)

- Ann Arbor: Pioneer High School (January 2016)

- Louisville: Youth Performing Arts High School (January 2016)

- Minneapolis: Southwest High School (January 2016)

- Oklahoma City: Harding Fine Arts Academy (January 2016)

- San Jose: Lincoln High School (January 2016)

- Chicago: Niles West High School (February 2016)

- Tallahassee: Leon High School (February 2016)

- Dallas: Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy (February 2016)

- Philadelphia: Philadelphia School for Creative and Performing Arts (February 2016)

- Long Island: Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts (March 2016)

- Austin: McCallum Fine Arts Academy (April 2016)

- San Diego: San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (May 2016)

In New York City, the Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts will perform the play in Roundabout's own Black Box Theatre in early Spring 2016.

Co-writers of the play include Daniel Robert Sullivan, Paul Stoll, Aaliyah Stewart, Isaiah Latimer, Chanique Peart, Deshaye Tingling, Amanda Rodriguez, Jaylin Acosta, Brandy Brown, Azaria Guthrie, Rebecca Powell, Rachel Friedman, and Shannon Deep.

PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN received a workshop presentation at Roundabout Theatre Company in April 2014 under the direction of Shelley Butler. It is currently being further developed at the Nevada Conservatory Theatre, in association with the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, under the direction of Christopher V. Edwards.

The script is now available on Amazon and directly from Smith & Kraus. To learn more about the development of PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN, visit TCG Circle at the link here.

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