Dramatists Guild Foundation Hosts Student Writers at New York Gala

In keeping with their mission of supporting emerging writers, the Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) hosted some award-winning student writers at their recent gala in New York City. The winners of theNext Generation Works Thespian Playworks and Thespian Musicalworks writing competitions for members of the International Thespian Society (ITS) were the Foundation's guests at the invitation of Rachel Routh, DGF Executive Director.

The Thespian guests included Thespian Musicalworks finalist Mitchell Huntley, Orange County School of the Arts, Troupe 6826, Santa Ana, Calif.; and Thespian Playworks finalists: Sofia Bottinelli, Denver School of the Arts, Troupe 5869, Denver, Colo.; Tan'yeasia Brewster, Nuview Bridge Early College High School, Troupe 8117, Nuevo, Calif; Jared Goudsmit, Kirkwood High School, Troupe 748, Kirkwood, Mo.; and Frances L. Timberlake, School for Creative and Performing Arts, Troupe 3950, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Andrew Lippa, DGF board president held an hour-long one-on-one session with the students assuring them, when asked, that all writers have doubt. He added it was critical for them to believe in themselves.

The students also spent time gathering encouragement from Pulitzer Prize-winning writers Sheldon Harnick, Tom Kitt, and Doug Wright; Tony Award-winning writers Jason Robert Brown and Stephen Schwartz; and Tony Award-nominated writer Laurence O'Keefe and performer Kate Baldwin.

The director of the Next Generation Works program, Gregory Bossler, said "I want to thank DGF for their support of our Thespian writers - and I want to pass along their appreciation for 'this amazing and life-changing experience.' They couldn't stop talking about the encouragement they felt in the one-on-one with Andrew nor the sense of community they experienced at the gala."

Thespian Musicalworks and Thespian Playworks, are two of four programs in a suite called Next Generation Works designed to encourage and promote original writing by and for high school student members of the International Thespian Society(ITS). The programs also include Thespian Filmworks and Thespian Criticworks.

Next Generation Works finalists are invited to attend the International Thespian Festival, where the student writers work with professional directors, dramaturgs, musical directors, and volunteer actors to present their short works before a live audience.Based on their workshop experience, the students revise their scripts in preparation for publication and licensing as well as publication in Dramatics, the magazine published for high school theatre students by the Educational Theatre Association,home of ITS and the Next Generation Works program.

Thespian Playworks is sponsored by Samuel French, Thespian Musicalworks is sponsored by TRW, Thespian Criticworks is sponsored by Broadway Direct, and Thespian Filmworks is sponsored by New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.