From Cathleen – Sprung from the Minds of Babes

Meet our Young Playwrights from Central Elementary School’s Spring Young Playwrights’ Lab program!

Central Elementary Young Playwrights say "Cheese!"

After snapping a few serious pics on the last day of class, we all got a little goofy for the camera.  Not surprising from the imaginative bunch who brought the world The Fairy and the Stinkbug (Juliana), The Best Hero (Osiris), Chiner and the King (Elarick), Snake and Rat (Tina), The Princess Frog and the Frog (Daizy), Stretchman (Christian), The Sandwich (Kelisha), MegaWar! (Damien), Find His Dad (Jocelyn), Time to Go Everywhere (Rosamaris), The Life of Mr. Monkey (Anthony), Saucy Pete’s Big Life (Eduardo), Space Stick (Rubiell), The Devouring Rose (Yonalis) and a 2012 Young Playwrights’ Festival pick, The Sad Story of Mrs. Donut Personby Biance Acosta!

Biance, with classmates.

In Biance’s short play, Mrs. Donut Person refuses to heed the warning of her husband and box-fellow, Mr Donut Person, and meets a tragic demise that culminates in a somber procession of breakfast pastry.  Lisa Jordan, Managing Director/Ensemble Member of Touchstone will direct Biance’s play– which she will bring to life with whimsical costumes and the acting talents of adult and child actors from the community.

Every year, Touchstone Theatre, in partnership with Bethlehem and Allentown school district teachers, introduces students across the Lehigh Valley in the art of playwriting, through our award-winning Young Playwrights’ Lab after school program.  The program runs 8 weeks, meeting twice a week, and culminates in each student writing his or her original one-act play, which is then submitted to a panel for selection into the annual Young Playwrights’ Festival.

This year, 93 original student plays were submitted for review– and winnowing that group down to 7 plays (one per school) was a challenge!   Plays were selected on the basis of originality, style, stageability, and plot details that captured the imaginations of the play directors and panelists.

"Gee," says Lisa, "It sort of looks like a giant doughnut..."

Our Festival directors– comprised of Touchstone company members and guest artists– were each paired with one of these original works and have set about the task of bringing each to life, live onstage at Zoellner Arts Center’s Baker Hall on Saturday, May 19th, 7pm. Tickets are $10.

The 7th Annual Young Playwrights’ Festival will feature:

Man’s Best Friend by Emily Rojas (Central Elementary, Fall program)
Inseparable by Leo Rodriguez (Trexler Middle)
The Science Experiment that Went Wrong! by Elena Myalo (Brougha Middlel)
The Sad Story of Mrs. Donut Person by Biance Acosta (Central Elementary, Spring program)
The Jungle by Nadie Rivera (Donegan Elementary)
What Happens in the Club Stays in the Club by Rosy Vargas (Lincoln Leadership Acadmey)
The Crazy Adventure on Mt. Everest by Evan Cartwright (Freemansburg Elementary)

For the young and young-at-heart, the Festival is an inspiring and uplifting peek into the creative imaginations of the Lehigh Valley’s next generation of artists, and an opportunity to support the continuation of Touchstone’s arts-in-education programs, which fill the arts and cultural enrichment gap left by income inequality, budget cuts, and the increasing demand that standardized testing places on the school day.

Bring your family, friends and funny bone – a truly magical night of theatre.

The Young Playwrights’ Festival takes place Saturday, May 19th, 7pm at Zoellner Arts Center’s Baker Hall.  The Festival will be followed by the decadent Dessert Gala Reception & Live Auction to benefit Touchstone’s education programs.  Tickets available online for the Festival performance or Festival and Gala, or by calling Touchstone (610) 867-1689.