Did you miss last week’s Young Playwrights Festival? Not to worry! El Cid has a summary of each play featured in the show. From bullying to fairy tales, the young playwrights had a wide variety of inspiration.
Title
The Lion and the Lamb by seniors Megan Pepi, Morgan Mowery, and Sean Solorzono
What is your play about?
There’s the bully and he makes fun of another kid for his name. Over holiday break the bully gets into a car accident and breaks both of his arms, and his friends at school turn on him and end up bullying him. In the end, out of everyone else, the one who helped the bully was the kid who was bullied.
What inspired you to write it?
We just wanted to address the problem of bullying in general. I’ve always lived by “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Having the courage to do something nice to your persecutors is important in being the bigger person.
What makes you interested in drama/writing?
I really like to be creative, writing short stories and things like that. I like to let my creative juices flow, and it was cool because we got to convey a message.
How did you feel when you found out your play was chosen to be featured in the festival?
When we heard about it, we were all really honored to be a part if it. It was really exciting just to see the vision of what you wrote.
Title
Alice by junior Alexa Samaniego
What is your play about?
My play’s based off of the idea of Alice in Wonderland, and it takes place after Alice returns from Wonderland. It’s basically about her living in an insane asylum and constantly being pulled back into Wonderland by all the classic characters.
What inspired you to write it?
I was mainly inspired by the sequel to Alice, Through the Looking-Glass. I absolutely love the book, and I was always interested in the possibilities of what might have happened after Alice came back. I like dark stories, and Wonderland always had the potential to make a very twisted play!
What makes you interested in drama/writing?
I first got interested in drama when I was in the 2nd grade and tried out for my first play with my best friend. After that, I became pretty obsessed! I love the truth behind all of it. I feel like theatre is a careful examination and recreation of life, and I really enjoy delving so deeply into life. That’s mainly why I like to write, too. I’m already a very observational person–I like to watch people and life–so I enjoy sharing these observations through my plays. I see playwriting as a way to show people a mirror of their behavioral problems without making them get defensive and shut down.
How did you feel when you found out your play was chosen to be featured in the festival?
The first thing I felt was a wave of anxiety. Hahaha. When Miss (Katie) Wilson (drama teacher) announced the shows to be produced, we had less than a week to cast, direct, rehearse, and produce these shows–that’s a lot to do in a very little time! But I was also extremely excited. I wrote the play as a very visual piece, so I was pretty psyched to actually get it on stage and see how it looks.
Title
Once Upon a Therapy Office by junior Tina LaMar
What is your play about?
It’s about a girl named Jenny who is being forced to go to therapy because she’s starting in a new school. She opens a fairy tale book, and all the characters from Snow White pop out. They all get family counseling to resolve all their issues. I added a twist about how the poison apple is used to stop the wedding of Snow White and Prince Charming because Prince Charming was believed to be a gold digger.
What inspired you to write it?
The television show Once Upon a Time inspired me I thought that if all the characters in that show just talked things out all together, they could resolve all their problems. Then I thought about what if they went to a therapy session.
What makes you interesting in drama/ writing?
I guess I’ve always been drawn to theater. I have a very out-there , and I have to find an outlet to put that energy into. I found drama, and it clicked with me. The play itself was written by my twin sister Caitlin and me. She helped me come up with the ideas, and I wrote it up.
How did you feel when you found out your play was chosen to be featured in the festival?
I was really excited. Last year, our play was chosen, too. Last year, it completely blindsided me, and this year I was kind of hoping we would get chosen. I was ecstatic when it was chosen. The set was beautiful. Thank you to all the techies!
Title
Signs of a Singer by senior Bridget Sanker
What is your play about?
It’s about a sign flipper who sings music while he’s out flipping and is discovered by a music producer. The music producer tries to sell him off to tween girls as a brand and won’t let him sing his own songs. Eventually, he is caught lip-synching on stage at a concert and is fired. He then decides he’s much happier as a sign flipper.
What inspired you to write it?
I was inspired by the Chinese fable of the Stonecutter. In it, there is a stonecutter who yearns to be a king. He soon becomes a king and is very rich. At the end, he decides he would be much happier as a stonecutter and returns to his old profession.
What makes you interested in drama/writing?
I would always make up plays and productions with my friends and neighbors when I was little. I would gather up my family and invite the neighbors over to watch. We had little fold up chairs, popcorn, music, and everything.
How did you feel when you found out your play was chosen to be featured in the festival?
When I found out, the first thing I thought was that I don’t have a lot of time until the show! I also was really shocked and excited!
