Advertiser Explorer West Middle School wants all our Readers to know that their students performed very well in the 14th annual festival of award-winning new work from Seattle ACT’s 2015 Young Playwrights Program (YPP), with one student – Sarah Jenner – winning one of eight grand prizes:
Left to right: Camille Johnson, David Orace Kelly, Sarah Jenner.
Explorer West 7th grader Sarah Jenner’s play “Kidnapped on the SS Star Cruiser” was one of the eight grand prize winners. Her play will be produced and published in a play anthology by ACT, during this year’s ACT Young Playwrights Festival in Seattle.
ACT chose eight talented writers ages 13-18 to join with a professional team of local directors and actors to bring their new plays to life in staged readings.
For the fifth year in a row, Explorer West participated in ACT’s Young Playwrights Program. Middle and high school students submitted one-act plays, each with the hope that his or her play would be chosen to be produced by ACT Theatre.
There are three categories of awards: Honorable Mention; a play produced by a small theatre company; and the top prize – eight plays selected to be produced and performed by ACT Theatre. In the past four years, four Explorer West Middle School students have been selected for this top honor.
This year Explorer West Middle School placed very well again. Dillon Charles and Denisse Aguilar each received an Honorable Mention for their plays “Kidnapped” and “The Life of Erina” respectively. Camille Johnson’s play “Into the Book” will be produced by Rain City Productions.
Sarah Jenner’s play will be presented on Thursday, March 10, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 12, 2016 at 4 p.m.
Tickets: $5-$10
WHERE: ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., Seattle, 98101
Tickets can be purchased online here: http://
Complete list of plays for this program:
- Kidnapped on the SS Star Cruiser (Sarah Jenner, Explorer West Middle School)
- Al Pastor (Roko Bedalov, Garfield High School)
- Invincible Radio Superhero Goddesses (Diego Ortiz Villacorta San Juan, Ballard High School)
- The Black Guy Always Dies First (Jared Youmans, Lakeside School)
Drama Teacher David Orace Kelly was chosen as Teacher of the Year for ACT’s Young Playwrights Program, recognizing his work both in the program and with the YPP staff to help align and develop playwriting curriculum standards (for both middle and high school) with the Common Core State Standards, The National Theatre Arts Standards, and the Washington State Theatre Arts Standards.
“I am thrilled to have a long-run of success with ACT’s Young Playwrights Program, said David Orace Kelly, Explorer West drama teacher. “From Sarah winning top-honors this year to the previous four students in past years also being produced and published at ACT, it is an honor. I am also humbled by the Teacher of the Year Award that I received as a part of my work with the program.”