Road Less Traveled Productions Presents 4th Annual Event Celebrating Buffalo's Emerging Young Dramatists

Road Less Traveled Productions (RLTP) will present its Fourth Annual Buffalo Young Writers (BYW) Night on Wednesday, May 15th at 7:00 pm at The Road Less Traveled Theater, located at 639 Main Street, in Downtown Buffalo's Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre (MAFAC). The evening will feature winners of the 2013 BYW Contest, recognizing outstanding student playwrights in the Western New York (WNY) area.

RLTP launched its first BYW Contest in the fall of 2009. The contest is an annual opportunity for high school and college students, often in connection with their school curriculum, to compete for the chance to earn a professionally produced presentation of their original short plays.

RLTP Literary Director and BYW producer Jon Elston announced this year's winners March 14th at a Mighty Taco Talkback Thursday performance of RLTP's world-premiere production of Seeds, by award-winning WNY playwright Donna Hoke. BYW Contest prizes include a cash prize of $250 and a workshop production for the Grand Prize winner, as well as complementary tickets to the Road Less Traveled Theater and staged readings for the four runners-up.

"After three years of rewarding the consistently fine efforts of young, local writers like two-time Grand Prize-winner Caitlin McAneney as well as Stefan Brundage, Megan Kemple, and Jon Zelasko," said Elston, "This year's five winning entries are by young playwrights altogether new to RLTP and to this contest!" Elston also noted that, for the second consecutive year, all five of the winning BYW entries are by female playwrights.

The 2013 BYW Grand Prize winner is AlAnna Smith, a Senior writing major at SUNY Geneseo. Her play, Bright Shadows,follows a teenager named Luke, who considers drastic and ghoulish measures after the death of his beloved brother; an unusual friend named Caleb attempts to stop Luke and what follows is a power struggle that blurs the boundaries of reality. Elston praised the play for its sensitivity, toughness, and sophistication. The Bright Shadows workshop production will star local actors Steven Brachmann and Glenn Hillman and be directed by Emanuel Fried New Play Workshop Director Kyle LoConti, assisted by local playwright (and former BYW participant) Katherine Boswell.

The four 2013 runners-up to be presented as staged readings are: Taylor Churakos' Plain Jane;Rachel Coddington's and Gina Notaro's Chinese Conundrum;Sabrina Kahwaty's The List;and Nicole Miller's Adolescence Unveiled. Cast for the readings will include RLTP Ensemble members Bob Grabowski, Barry Williams, and Matt Witten, as well as Carlton Franklin, Sara Kow-Falcone, Aaron Krygier, Renee Landrigan, Tracy Snyder, Jessica Stuber, Verneice Turner, Adam Yellen, JoNathan Young, Erik Josef Audare, Kyle Baran, Amanda Dornan, Airyne Nikohl, Jean O'Harrow, U.D. Schwartz, and Phoebe Wright.

Admission for BYW Night is only $10. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling the RLTP Box Office at (716) 629-3069. Elston advised the evening "always sells out, it becomes standing room only, and is an absolute blast!"

RLTP will continue the BYW Contest for a fifth year in the fall of 2013. More information will be available at www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org.

Road Less Traveled Productions (RLTP) is a professional, non-profit theatre company dedicated to the development and production of new theatrical works by Western New York playwrights, as well as presentations of esteemed modern dramas of outstanding literary merit. RLTP, a member of the National New Play Network, is located in the Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre in the Theatre District of Downtown Buffalo, NY. For more information about RLTP and to purchase tickets, please visit www.RoadLessTraveledProductions.org or call (716) 629-3069. RLTP's work is made possible through public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

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