A Look Back...
History of The Florida Teen Playright Festival
The Florida Teen Playwright Festival opened to enthusiastic audiences on July 13, 1992, culminating a year-long Hippodrome initiative to introduce substantive playwriting curriculum into Florida's secondary schools. The Festival's aims were to present the art of playwriting as a viable form of self- expression and self-discovery for students, as well as to provide a venue to nurture, display, and award exceptional new talent and dedication to the theatre. Students from throughout the State of Florida submit their One-Act plays to a panel of professional judges who, in turn, read and score each submission based on criteria involving plot, character development, setting, theme, grammar, and an overall reaction. Past judges have included: Jo Morello, nationally renowned playwright; Pat Cook, Chair Directing Department, Baylor University; Francis Jue, professional actor and graduate of the Yale School of Drama; and our current judges include Dr David Young, Graduate Research Professor, University of Florida and Dr Ralf Remshart, Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance, University of Florida.
In the beginning, the Festival consisted of staged readings of the three winning scripts. Now the festival has grown to full-scale productions with costume, lighting, sound and set designs. The winning playwrights are given the valuable opportunity to work closely with directors to discuss the play's progress. The playwrights and the directors are given the chance to work closely with professional directors in the mentor program. The mentor program is set up to help the playwrights and directors with assistance and guidance throughout the rehearsal process. Past mentors have included Lauren Caldwell, Artistic Director, Hippodrome State Theatre; Sara Morsey, Adjunct Professor, Santa Fe Community College and Mary Hausch, Producing Director, Hippodrome State Theatre.
The entire process culminates when the winning playwrights are invited to come for opening day and watch their play produced on the Hippodrome's second stage. After opening day the playwrights are taken to lunch and are given the chance to discuss their play with the actors, directors and designers. The three winning plays will be showcased on all three performance days. The performances are free and open to the public.
Maybe this year's winner of the Florida Teen Playwright Festival will be the next Tennessee Williams or Eugene O'Neill!
Saturday, May 17