Coterie Theatre Showcases Teen Playwrights in Festival, 4/28 & 4/29

World premiere readings from Kansas City's teen playwrights will be showcased during the Annual Young Playwrights' Festival at 7 p.m. April 28 and 29, and at 10 a.m. April 29 at the Coterie Theatre, level 1, Crown Center Shops. Professional actors, directors and designers work to present a collection of ten staged readings, plays and monologues from teen members of the Coterie's Young Playwrights' Roundtable. 

For the first time, all performances are free, but reservations are encouraged and can be made by phone (816) 474-6552 or in person at the Coterie Box Office. During Festival performance days, the Box Office will be open at from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; all seating is general admission with theater doors opening 30 min. prior to performance.

The highly creative Roundtable brings together a group of select young adults that meet throughout the year to write and share plays. Members of the Roundtable are invited to join after attending a Reaching the Write Minds workshop, the Coterie's citywide in-school program to identify emerging playwrights.

"One of the best parts of my job is hosting meetings for our Young Playwrights' Roundtable, which has more than 35 members this year," said Jeff Church, Coterie producing artistic director. "From the feedback they give each other, their plays get polished. I then selected ten short plays to be part of the Young Playwrights' Festival.

"These plays are sometimes hilarious, or they can be very frank. They provide a fascinating lens into the minds of young people," he said.

This year's festival will incorporate ten readings in two acts for the evening performances appropriate for high school students and adults; five readings will be performed during the 10 a.m. performance April 29, suitable for sixth grade students and older.

Directors for this year's festival are MeghAnn Henry (Coterie Theatre's Education Director), Jessalyn Kincaid and Rachel Cain. Festival Coordinator is MeghAnn Henry. Producer of the festival is Jeff Church. Funding for the Young Playwrights' Festival is provided by the Sprint Foundation.

The list of productions, playwrights and schools includes.

Act I
Ghost Adventures Parody by Jonah Cameron Jaax (Barstow School). It's toughfor Chris tocreate enough drama forhis paranormal reality show when the ghosts are ambivalent tohis locutions.

Just Friends by Chelsea Muzar (Park Hill High). Just as you do with a relationship, when a friendship is over you have to find the words to break up.

Stories and Scars by Chris Fielder (Rockhurst High). Can an older woman humanize a robber with conversation and a cup of tea?

Black Coffee by Taylor Kay Phillips (Barstow School). Audry, the lady at the coffee shop, searches to understand a little boy with abilities and disabilities.

Roadkill by Zachary Weaver (Home Schooled). On the side of a highway in Kansas, Ava and her mother Fern finally have it out regarding Ava's desire to fit in with others.

Act II
Betty's Thoughts by Morgan Salisbury (Raytown High). The thoughts inside Betty's mind show us how she sees her co-workers at the job recruiter office.

Thinking for 3 by Toby Sandford, (Main Street Academy). A young man's different selves interact with a girl named Melissa.

Sticks and Stones by ChristiNe York, (Grandview High). A popular girl thinks through her culpability in the death of Emily, whom she'd known since 7th grade.

Stereotypes by Taylor Ayers (North Kansas City High). Party guy Kevin needs tutoring. Jen needs the community service hours. How awkward can it get?

Blond Hair, Blue Eyed Blues by Casha Mills (Shawnee Mission North). On the bus ride home from school, Desiree tries to tell Tiara what happens when you mix black and white.

NOTE: The 10 a.m. performance April 29 will include: Ghost Adventures Parody, Just Friends, Stories and Scars, Black Coffee and Blond Hair, Blue Eyed Blues.

Reaching the Write Minds was established during Church's residency at The Kennedy Center to give a voice to emerging young playwrights. Highly acclaimed for its innovative approach in motivating and encouraging young talent, Church launched Kansas City's Reaching the Write Minds program in 1992. During the Reaching the Write Minds five-hour seminar, students learn to create settings, build characters and, ultimately, devise a scenario for a complete play. Playwright facilitators for 2009-2010 were Nancy Marcy, Vi Tran and MeghAnn Henry. Selected participants from the Reaching the Write Minds seminars are subsequently invited to become members of the Young Playwrights' Roundtable.

Lauded because the program is a series of interactive working sessions, not a contest, the Young Playwrights' Roundtable stimulates young writers through their instruction via a mentoring approach between Church and peer members of the Roundtable. Members meet throughout the school year. Once students are selected, they remain members of the Roundtable until they graduate from high school.

Members of the 2009-10 Young Playwrights Roundtable Taylor Ayers (North Kansas City High), Olivia Broome (Trailridge Middle), Katy Brown (Park Hill High), John De Luca (Raymore-Peculiar High), Ally Eckert (Lansing High), Allison Enns (North Kansas City High), Rachel Ferencz (Shawnee Mission Northwest High), Chris Fielder (Rockhurst High), Haley Gober (Raytown South High), Jessica Goertzen (Lansing High), Day Harris (Sumner Academy), Jonah Jaax (Barstow School), Ethan Kaseff (Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy), Duncan Laner (Pembroke Hill), Noria McCarther (Notre Dame de Sion), Casha Mills (Shawnee Mission North High), Myracle Morris (Raytown High), Chelsea Muzar (Park Hill High), Natalie Null (Raytown High), Taylor Kay Phillips (Barstow School), Charles "Eli" Purdom (William Chrisman High), Morgan Salisbury (Raytown South High), Toby Sandford (Main Street Academy), Faith Slaughter (Ruskin High), Adavia Thornton (Cristo Rey), Zachary Weaver (Home Schooled), David White (Barstow School), Emma WitbolsFeugen (William Chrisman), ChristiNe York (Grandview High).

For more information: http://www.coterietheatre.org/

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