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New York City Public School Contest Winners Announced at WRITE A PLAY!
NYC Contest Awards Ceremony
Founder Stephen Sondheim and sponsor AOL Time Warner concur:
an event that they wish every student, parent, teacher and administrator
could experience
for themselves
On Tuesday, June 4, 2002, The New Victory Theater hosted the Young Playwrights Inc.
WRITE A PLAY! NYC Awards Ceremony, welcomed contestants, their educators and parents, and
saluted the winners in each of three divisions: Elementary School (Grades K-5), Middle
School (Grades 6-8), and High School (Grades 9-12). Over 520 NYC students in grades 2-12
wrote original plays or fairy tales; excerpts of the prize-winning plays and fairy tales
were featured, giving these young writers a rare opportunity to see their work performed
by professional actors on a 42nd Street theater stage.
True to form, NYC students have transformed their interests, concerns, and fears into
personal works of art, only this year with titles such as THE WIDOWS, THE DREAM OF
TRAGEDIES, and LOVE AND COUNTER-TERRORISM. Ruth McKee, YPI Literary Manager and Education
Coordinator states, "In general, the plays received this year took on a darker, more
serious tone. It was wonderful to see how many of the plays that did deal with the events
of September 11th all focused on hope and recovery, rather than the horror of that day.
THE WIDOWS, in particular, tells the story of how two women who’ve lost their
husbands find strength to move on. It’s clear that these students are finding it as
well."
Given the sober atmosphere in NYC schools, YPI was also thrilled to judge Dodger
Theatricals’ INTO THE WOODS I Wish Fairy Tale Contest submissions, focusing on
fairytales and fantasy!
Young Playwrights Inc. (YPI), 21-year-old non-profit invention of composer/lyricist
Stephen Sondheim, honored their work with the seriousness they deserve: each young
playwright received a written evaluation of his or her play. After seeing the level of
artistic accomplishment evidenced in these plays and as the students’ enthusiastic
participation in the ceremony itself, both founder Sondheim and sponsor AOL Time Warner
representative Connie Cannon were in agreement in their wish that every student, parent,
teacher, and administrator could experience the awards ceremony for themselves. According
to Ms. Cannon, "It was a wonderful and truly inspiring event!" As one parent
wrote to YPI immediately following the ceremony,
"Although he did not win, my son was very encouraged by the speeches and mostly by
the evaluation of his work. The personalized touch is what really made this whole program
so special. We are so happy to know there is an organization like this that encourages and
assists young writers. He looks forward to possibly attending some of your workshops, so
that he may improve his skills and continue to experience the joy of creating [an]
imaginary world."
Mayor Bloomberg designated Department of Cultural Affairs Director of Education Marge
Markey to deliver a Mayoral Message paying tribute to the students’ hard work and
commitment, celebrating YPI’s 20th anniversary and expressing his gratitude to all
those who made the competition possible.
The event also featured presenters Manley Pope and Matt Caplan from the Broadway
musical RENT. As a graduate of the High School for Performing Arts Mr. Caplan expressed
his astonishment over the quality and content of the winning plays, especially those
coming from the younger elementary and middle school students.
The guest speakers were Joan Firestone, Special Advisor to the NYC Schools Chancellor
for Arts Education; playwright Carla D. Alleyne, a YPI Alum and member of its Board of
Directors, and Diana Son, playwright of Off Broadway’s STOP KISS. Attendees included
Maggie Peyton, Special Assistant to Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields on
Cultural Affairs; Cora Fields, Deputy Director of Education for Bronx Borough President
Adolfo Carrion; Veronique LeMelle, Director of Cultural Affairs for Queens Borough
President Helen Marshall, and Carolyn Greer, Director of Special Events for Brooklyn
Borough President Marty Markowitz.
Each contest entrant will receive written evaluations of his/her play or fairy tale and
a Certificate of Merit signed by YPI Founder Stephen Sondheim. All attendees received
special gift bags courtesy of sponsors AOL Time Warner, Music Theatre International, The
New Victory Theater, and Cameron Mackintosh stuffed with giveaways such as INTO THE WOODS
notepads and buttons, LES MISERABLES buttons, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE mouse pads, BIC
pens, High Five Tickets to the Arts, and chances to win tickets to LES
MISERABLES,
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, RENT and BLUE MAN GROUP. In addition to cash awards and gift
certificates courtesy of TOYS ‘R’ US, the Contest winners received a pair of
tickets to a performance of INTO THE WOODS (courtesy of Dodger Theatrical Holdings, Inc.)
AND THE WINNERS ARE:
HIGH SCHOOL
1st Place: DIFFERENCES by Angela G. Lopez, HS of Fashion Industries, Brooklyn
2nd Place: PUSHING ALL THE WRONG BUTTONS by Cierra Pacheco, Urban Academy Laboratory
HS, Manhattan
3rd Place: WHISPERS OF A REQUIEM by Stephanie Bornstein, Sheepshead Bay HS, Brooklyn
Honorable Mentions: NEED FOR GHETTO LOVE by Tiffany Mack, High School of Fashion
Industries, Brooklyn
DOG HOUSE by Andrew Greer, Edward R. Murrow High School, Brooklyn
CAN A CURVE TURN THE WORLD? by Robert Dougherty, Robert F. Wagner Jr. HS, Queens
BASKETBALL, LOVE AND CONSEQUENCES by Carlos Rodriguez, Cobble Hill School for American
Studies, Brooklyn
BOTTLE ROCKETS by Ilena C. George, Stuyvesant HS, Manhattan
MIDDLE SCHOOL
1st Place: THE WIDOWS by David Watson, Hunter College High School, Manhattan
2nd Place: THE DREAM OF THE DEAD by Erica Santiago, Brittney Mosley and Kristina
Zieminski, IS 61, Staten Island
3rd Place: DEPRESSION by Attifa Bajhat Moses, PS 220, Bronx
Honorable Mentions: VISITOR by Tamara Geisler, Jenna Silberman and Monica Kelly, IS 61,
Staten Island
ROXIE ANN by Tiffany Trent, JHS Ryan 216, Queens
THE GET-TOGETHER PARTY OF THE GODS by Karen Lall, MS 226, Queens
GIVING BIRTH AND FAVORING A CAR by Loly Jimenez, PS 315 The Lab School, Bronx
RACHAEL AND DAVID by Vivian Lee and Jennifer Dhanraj, MS 226, Queens
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
1st Place: MEG by Tina Ritter, Muscota New School, Manhattan
2nd Place: THE MIXED UP WAITER by Dana Simms, PS 68, Bronx
3rd Place: WHAT ONE DREAM CAN DO TO ANOTHER by Lindsay Harris, Midtown West, Manhattan
Honorable mentions:
THE HUMAN HANDBURGER MYSTERY by Kaitlyn O'Hagan and Katharine Volpe,
PS 193 Gil Hodges School, Brooklyn
FIRST CLASS, THIRD DEGREE by Zazie Beetz and Tina Ritter, Muscota New School, Manhattan
DITCHING DETENTION by Ulysses Rodriguez and Paris Bethel, Muscota New School, Manhattan
A SMOOTH CRIMINAL by Anastasia Pichardo, Joel Papoters and Roenny Hernandez, Muscota
New School, Manhattan
THE STICK VOODOO DOLL by Frances Wertimer, Muscota New School, Manhattan
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