PlayWrite Newsletter March 2024
Hello, Spring! "The earth laughs in flowers."—Ralph Waldo Emerson
There’s an analogy to be made about tending flowers and tending young people, seeing them both bloom after being cared for. It’s what happens in our workshops and performances.
Mt. Scott Workshop, March 15, 2024
We just finished a very successful workshop at Mt. Scott Learning Center. (Mt. Scott is an accredited nonprofit high school contracting with Portland Public Schools to offer an alternative path to graduation.)
Six students completed the workshop, and five completed plays that they directed with professional actors at the standing-room-only capstone performance. One audience member’s favorite line from the first play:
“I feel like my shiny side is the good side of me.”—Jarid, in Cody’s play The Earthquake
Above: The inside of the playbill; the proud writers autographed their plays.
Each young writer introduces their own play. This is Callie introducing her play, “Why the Pollen Did I Make This So Relatable?”
Kickstand Comedy Club, a new venue for us, was a warm, welcoming place. We filled it with writers, students, families and friends, actors, and supporters of all stripes.
YOU’RE INVITED to Write.Voice.Play!
Seeing our young writers’ work live and in-person is the best way to understand how powerful the PlayWrite process is, and how it’s capable of provoking deep systemic change in the young writers we work with. But…performances are usually held inside the schedule of a school day, making it difficult for supporters to come see.
This year, we’re part of the Fertile Ground Festival. Our Festival performance will be on a Sunday, making it easier for you to actually experience live and first-hand what you support all year.
Come see our Write.Voice.Play! Showcase of Student Works performance at the Fertile Ground Festival Sunday, April 14, at 5 pm.
The deets:
Write. Voice. Play!
A PlayWrite Showcase of Original Student One-Acts
Sunday, April 14, 2024, 5:00 pm
Artists Repertory Theatre Lobby, 1515 SW Morrison St, Portland, OR
RSVP today! You don’t need to buy a ticket, just come and see. (But feel free to make a donation!)
The 2024 Fertile Ground Festival of New Works (FG24) runs April 12 through 21. This year, Fertile Ground is live for the first time since 2020. Projects range from fully staged world premieres, to theatrical workshops and play readings, to ensemble, multidisciplinary and collaboration-driven work, to a variety of dance, comedy, film events and more.
Note: Tamara Carroll, the new Executive Director of Fertile Ground, is a PlayWrite coach!
Unlike a typical fringe festival, Fertile Ground features the new work of our LOCAL artists, performers, and resident theatre companies, ensuring that the artistic and financial benefits of the festival stay in Portland. Explore the full line-up of exciting Fertile Ground Festival 2024 events.
If you’re going to events beyond Write.Voice.Play!, consider buying a Festival pass, which will give you access to (almost) every project in the Festival (over 60!) completely free.
Remember, Write.Voice.Play! is free for you anyway; just RSVP here.
Our Write.Voice.Play! Showcase of Student Works is sponsored by PATA and the Multnomah County Cultural Coalition. In addition, we’re thrilled to be a FG24 GROW Grant recipient. Thank you, Fertile Ground Festival!
So long for now…. See you at the theatre!