Young Playwrights Festival to Conclude with Student Performance at Palace Theatre, 12/3

Students from the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford have been working diligently with teacher David Robertson over the past 8 weeks during the first ever Young Playwrights Festival. The new program, sponsored by Pitney Bowes, improves literacy skills through reading and script writing and culminates in a live performance of the students' one-act play on Tuesday, December 3rd at 6:30 p.m. at Stamford's Palace Theatre.

In addition to improving literacy, this 8-week program nurtured creativity, cultivated the students' modes of self-expression, and improved self-esteem. It provided them with a creative outlet that is not offered in school.

"This has been quite a journey for these students," said The Palace's Director of Education, Carol Bryan. "Watching them find their voices as they completed the assignments was incredible. It awakened their public speaking skills, and a few of the students who are burdened with social anxiety disorders found the program helpful in alleviating some of their apprehensions."

Producing Artistic Director BT McNicholl added, "Writers are the lifeblood of the theatre, and The Palace sees this type of program as essential to engaging the next generation of artists and audience members. These young writers have created plays filled with unexpected humor, keen insight and powerful depth of feeling, all stemming from their own experiences with real-life, current subjects including bullying, family challenges and social politics."

The students will perform their one-act play on Tuesday, December 3rd at 6:30 p.m. in the Upper Lobby of The Palace.