Philadelphia Young Playwrights to Host New Voices Performances, 10/1-10

Each year Philadelphia Young Playwrights presents winning plays from its annual playwriting festival in workshop productions in partnership with Temple Theaters as the New Voices performances. These plays showcase the voices of students today and shine a spotlight on the things that are on their minds. This year the program runs October 1-10 at Temple University's Randall Theater, 2020 N. 13th Street. Tickets are free, but reservations are required. Reservations can be made over the phone at 215-665-9226 or online www.phillyyoungplaywrights.org.

This year's winning plays tackle racism, the riots in Ferguson, catcalling, free thought, saving a friend, and more. All of the winning plays are from Middle School and High School students across the region. Each work is assigned a professional director and dramaturg. The pieces are performed by undergraduate actors in Temple University's Theater Department. Each year, students from around the region are invited to submit their plays to Philadelphia Young Playwrights' Annual Playwriting Festival. Up to 1,000 students submit their scripts each year. Members of Young Playwrights' Literary Committee read each script and provide students with individualized written feedback. First, second and third place distinctions are awarded at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Most submissions come from students who participate in Philadelphia Young Playwrights classes in their school. Each year, principals and teachers bring Young Playwrights into their schools to provide its core program of classroom playwriting workshops. The program primarily takes place in classrooms during the course of the normal school day. The program consists of 25 hours of classroom visits by a professional teaching artist, professional development services for the participating teacher, facilitation of an in-school mini-festival, and the services of the Literary Committee for each student writer who submits a play to Young Playwrights' Annual Playwriting Festival.

"We are very proud to work with and showcase these young writers, who with their compelling voices illuminate issues of importance to them and to us all," said Philadelphia Young Playwrights' Executive Producing Director Glen Knapp.

There are two bills at New Voices each year (the grades are the grade the students were in when the play was submitted). The 2015 bills are:

Bill One
Curtains
By Harrison Freed
Science Leadership Academy, Grade 10
Directed by Shavon Norris

B & E
By Kit Conklin
The Baldwin School, Grade 7
Directed by Noah Herman

For a Good Investment
By Jerrick Medrano
Esparanza Academy, Grade 12
Directed by David Stradley

Bill Two
Dirty Cuts
By David DeJesus
Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, Grade 10
Directed by Claire Moyer

Did That Just Happen?
By Naseem Gibson
Benjamin Franklin, Grade 10
Directed by Lee Etzold

Our Hands Are Up
By Jade Perrin
Independence Charter School, Grade 8
Directed by Cheyenne Barboza

Performances
Thursday, October 1, 7 p.m.
Bill One

Friday, October 2, 7 p.m.
Bill Two

Saturday, October 3, 2 p.m.
Bill Two

Saturday, October 3, 7 p.m.
Bill One

Tuesday, October 6, 7 p.m.
Bill One

Wednesday, October 7, 7 p.m.
Bill Two

Thursday, October 8, 7 p.m.
Bill One

Friday, October 9, 7 p.m.
Bill Two

Saturday, October 10, 2 p.m.
Bill Two

Saturday, October 10, 7 p.m.
Bill One

The New Voices Workshop Productions are held each year with support from Temple University, Temple Theatres, National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the William Penn Foundation.

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