Fidelity FutureStage® Playwriting Contest winner MAdeline Hendricks is headed to Broadway's Imperial Theatre on June 15 to see her play produced by the Tony Award® winning creative team of Billy Elliot the Musical. Hendricks had the opportunity to celebrate by meeting Elton John, Billy Elliot the Musical composer and honorary chairperson of Fidelity FutureStage.
The Fidelity FutureStage Playwriting Contest, a joint initiative of Fidelity Investments® and Billy Elliot the Musical, was created to give students throughout the NYC metro area encouragement and opportunity to participate in the theater arts. Students were invited to write a 10-minute, one-act play reflecting one of the themes from the story of Billy Elliot: fulfilling a dream, discovering a special talent or overcoming adversity. The contest was open to all high school students attending school in the NYC and surrounding counties in NY and NJ.
Hendricks, a 17-year old junior at Mamaronack High School in Westchester, NY, won the competition with Driver's Education, a comedic character study about a chatty cab driver, his daughter, and some interesting passengers who teach them important life lessons. Driver's Education will be performed at the Imperial Theatre, home of Billy Elliot the Musical, on June 15, as part of the Fidelity FutureStage Finale event, hosted by entertainment icon Queen Latifah.
"I can't imagine what it's going to be like to see my play on Broadway. I might fall over in the theater," said Hendricks.
Hendricks' play was actually inspired by a cab ride en route to see her older sister perform in a play at New York's Tisch School of the Arts. Hendricks will also be attending college for theater this fall.
More than 500 plays were submitted to the Fidelity FutureStage Playwriting Contest from students from across the NYC metro area, representing NYC, Westchester and Richmond counties outside of the city, Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, as well as Bergen and Hudson counties in New Jersey.
Hendrick's winning play was selected by a panel representing Billy Elliot the Musical including Lee Hall (Book), Jon Finn (Producer), B.T. McNicholl (Resident Director) and 2009 Tony Award winner Gregory Jbara, who plays the character of 'Dad'. Rounding out the judges was Fidelity FutureStage Finale Director Michael Bush.
Leading up to the June 15 Fidelity FutureStage Finale, Hendricks will work with B.T. McNicholl (Resident Director of Billy Elliot the Musical), Nora Brennan (Children's Casting Director for Billy Elliot the Musical) and other members of the Billy Elliot the Musical creative team to ready her play for the Broadway stage. The world premiere of Hendrick's play, Driver's Education, will feature Tony-nominee Gregg Edelman (Wonderful Town), Georgi James (A Tale of Two cities), Heidi Blickenstaff (Title of Show) and Heather Ayers (Young Frankenstein).
Fidelity and Billy Elliot the Musical worked with education partner Camp Broadway® to manage the Fidelity FutureStage Playwriting Contest. The contest is a new extension this year of Fidelity FutureStage, an arts education program that brings theater to life for 600+ NYC students, representing 10 inner-city schools. The year-long theater education curriculum affords students the opportunity to learn from leading playwrights, directors, designers and actors, and ultimately experience the thrill of bringing their own creativity to life on a professional stage. For more information, visit www.FutureStage.com.
