Philadelphia Young Playwrights Annual Monologue Festival Kicks Off 3/10

Philadelphia Young Playwrights once again gives 18 local high school students a chance to be heard as the 2016 Young Voices Monologue Festival winners will debut their work March 10-19 at the city's new home for new work, The Drake, 1512 Spruce Street. Tickets cost $15 for the public performances. Tickets are available at www.interacttheatre.org or by phone at 215-568-8079. There are student matinees each year for local schools. For student matinee scheduling and tickets, please contact Janine Merolla - Janine@phillyyoungplaywrights.org or 215-665-9226 x7004.

Students submit monologues for the festival and the winning monologues are chosen by a panel of professionals. Students are assigned a professional director, dramaturg, and actor. They continue to develop their winning monologues with their professional partners during a month-long development process that culminates in the showcase performances at the festival. The subject matter of the monologues is a range of topics and represents the issues that are important to students today such as mental health, addiction, violence, racism, virginity, anxiety, PTSD, consumerism, and more. The monologues are directed by David O'Connor, Jay Gilman, Christina May, and Steve Gravelle and will feature a cast of professional actors: Ainye AnnaDora, Meg Rumsey-Lasersohn, Terrell M. Green, Andrew Carroll, Jerrick Medrano, and Victoria Chau.

This Year's Winners
National Achievement
by Madison Baker, 10th Grade, Lower Merion High School

Broken Family
by Karina Beltran, 11th Grade, Constitution High School

Butterfly Knife
by Arianna Bradley, 11th Grade, Central High School

Fine Dining
by Owen Fox, 12th Grade, Masterman High School

The Stand
by Ruthie Freer, 9th Grade, Friends Select School

Gold Tongues
by India Galloway, 11th Grade, Philadelphia Performing Arts: A String Theory Charter School

Poor Decision
by Nasiem Griggs, 10th Grade, Philadelphia Learning Academy South

Wondering Why?
by Khristopher Jackson, 10th Grade, South Philadelphia High

Eduardo
by Jason Johnson, 11th Grade, Esperanza Academy Charter School

6-O'Clock News
by Jenifer Joseph, 12th Grade, Cheltenham High School

Dairy Free
by Kyra Lisse, 10th Grade, Upper Dublin High School

Beautiful
by Joe Magee-Billson, 11th Grade, Harriton High School

Misunderstanding, Didn't Understand
by Alex Papatolis, 11th Grade, Benjamin Rush High School

One Piece
by Maya Peniazek, 11th Grade, Philadelphia HS - Creative & Performing Arts

Little Soldier
by Erinda Sheno, 10th Grade, Benjamin Rush High School

Kickin' It
by William John Thomas, 10th Grade, Penncrest High School

Comfort
by Taytiana Velazquez-Rivera, 10th Grade, Science Leadership Academy

Shattered
by Alexis Williams, 9th Grade, Murrell Dobbins High School

Public Performances
Thursday, March 10, 7pm
Friday, March 11, 7pm
Friday, March 18, 7pm
Saturday, March 19, 2pm
Saturday, March 19, 7pm

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