21ST ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

21ST ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

Date/Time: Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 2:00 PM Location: Pasant Theatre Tickets: FREE public performance First come, first served seating Ticket Office: whartoncenter.com 517.432.2000 or 1.800.WHARTON

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- On Saturday, May 13, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. in Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre, six of mid-Michigan’s top high school playwrights will be recognized as finalists in this year’s Young Playwrights Festival. Each finalist’s project, after a one-of-a-kind mentoring program with theatre professionals, will be directed and performed live at Wharton Center. The Saturday performance is free and open to the public with first come, first served seating.

The Young Playwrights Festival is a collaboration between MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts & Creativity at Wharton Center and the MSU Department of Theatre. The area’s top student writers submit their one-act scripts to this juried competition in hopes of seeing their work performed live on the Wharton Center stage by MSU Department of Theatre students. Of these entries, six of the top playwrights are chosen to collaborate with professional theatre mentors who will provide creative expertise and guidance as the students workshop their original projects.

Professional theatre mentors include: Joe Zettlemaier, Michigan-based playwright; Pam Sterling, Arizona State University; Joe Giardiana, theatre artist, New York City; Amanda Ewing, University of Michigan; Ken LaZebnik, playwright and screenwriter; and Randy Wyatt, Aquinas College.

The 20th Annual Young Playwrights Festival is made possible in part by Comprehensive Psychological Services, PC, Gannett Foundation; Lansing Sate Journal; University Outreach and Engagement, and Wharton Center Inner Circle.

The 2017 Young Playwrights finalists are:

Playwright Teacher/School Script Title Jennifer Nelson Miranda Keskes Hi I Am Hartland High School Celia Spink Dawn Reed Soilmates Okemos High School Jessica Wilcoxen Jean Eddington-Shipman Brain Matter

Williamston High School Nora Graham Jean Eddington-Shipman A Quest for Fame

Williamston High School Michaela Zewde Jean Eddington-Shipman Cursed Tongue Williamston High School Kayla Effner Jean Eddington-Shipman The Comedy Club

Williamston High School