May 18
Now in its 14th year, Touchstone Theatre's Young Playwrights' Lab continues to provide Lehigh Valley students with the opportunity to explore their creativity by crafting the blueprints for dramatic performances.
This year Touchstone's Teaching Artists have partnered with 12 Valley schools throughout the year—the greatest number yet—from elementary through high school, to coach kids in playwriting.
Students submit one-act plays for consideration and those selected are produced by Touchstone in this month's festival held at Zoellner Arts Center. “For some,” says Mary Wright, the program's coordinator, “this is one of the few outlets they have for exploring their own creative voice.”
And what are these young voices saying? After 14 years of encouraging expression, trends are visible. Bullying and the earth's sustainability are popular topics for the new generation. “Kids are concerned about deep problems,” Wright says.
The scripts often include sketches of costumes and set pieces, and every effort is made to complete the writer's vision. “If the kid imagines this character in a spotlight, we make sure that character is in a spotlight.”
Anyone can audition for a role in one of the plays, and might find themselves portraying a cloud, a whale or a Vietnam veteran. All ages and walks of life come together in this festival to amplify the voices of the future.
“We all shortchange kids in general,” Wright says. It can shock them to see their own words performed on Zoellner's beautiful stage, and an audience listening and wildly applauding their work. “It's cool to see how parents look at their kids differently afterwards. Yeah, they're young, but that doesn't make them less important.”
Support this impactful program at the Young Playwrights' Festival and Gala this month and see what kids are capable of!
Adults: $15; Students: $10; Gala: $75 | 7 p.m. | Zoellner Arts Center | Baker Hall | 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem | 610.867.1689 | touchstone.org
