The Palace Brings Original Works To Life For Local High School Playwrights

On May 20, three high school students from Fairfield and Westchester County will experience the joy of live theatre in a whole new way - as playwrights. Emilia Getzinger (of Botsford, CT), Grace O'Rourke (of Mamaroneck, NY) and Alexandra Levins (of Westport, CT) were named winners of The Palace Theatre's 2019 Ernie DiMattia Emerging Young Artist Awards for their writing of an original one-act play. All three will witness their voices and visions come to life with a staged reading by professional actors at The Palace in Stamford.

This year, The Palace selected three winners, Emilia Getzinger, a senior at Immaculate High School in Danbury, for her play, "Umbrella;" Alexandra Levins, a senior at Staples High School in Westport, for "Perception;" and Rye Neck High School senior Grace O'Rourke for "Pushing Up Daisies." Each student was awarded $500. In addition, The Palace has recognized three runners-up - Charlotte Marvin (of North Salem), Cassie Lang (of Westport) and Mya Turner (of Peekskill).

The Palace has brought in Leah Reddy to guest direct the staged reading, which will be attended by the playwrights' parents, teachers and friends as well as Stamford Center for the Arts board members.

Leah Reddy is an NYC-based director, dramaturg, and producer. She is a Master Teaching Artist with Roundabout Theatre Company, where she co-edits the Upstage Playgoers' Guide, a video producer, and a mentor with the Arthur Miller Foundation.

"Congratulations to Emilia, Alexandra, Grace and all our runners-up for their excellent work," said Michael Moran, President & CEO of The Palace. "Arts education is extremely important to The Palace. We are thrilled to welcome Leah Reddy an accomplished director and producer and are excited to see how she will bring the unique vision of each young playwright to life."

The Emerging Young Artist Award was established in 2010 and is open to all high school students from Fairfield and Westchester Counties. Winners have included instrumentalists, vocalists, composers, actors and playwrights. In 2015, the award was renamed for Ernie DiMattia, former president of The Ferguson Library in Stamford and a longtime Stamford Center for the Arts board member.

The Palace's Arts in Education programs are held year round and strive to educate, challenge and inspire area youth by offering opportunities in performing, choreography, master classes and intensives in circus arts, acting, voice and dance. Students learn skills that are important in academic and life success such as confidence, problem-solving, teamwork, perseverance and focus.

The staged reading on May 20 will begin at 7:00pm. It is free and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made by contacting Kristin Levinson at klevinson@palacestamford.org.

The Palace Theatre is located at 61 Atlantic Street in Stamford, CT. They can be reached at (203) 325-4466 or by visiting www.palacestamford.org. For the latest news and updates, follow @ThePalaceTheatreStamford on Facebook and @PalaceStamford on Twitter.

About The Palace Theatre
The 1,580-seat Palace Theatreis dedicated to performing arts of all genres - music, dance, theater and comedy. In addition to hosting world-renowned performers in each of those fields, the Palace partners with arts organizations like the Stamford Symphony and Connecticut Ballet for their performances. The Theatre's three floors encompass a deeper-than-typical Broadway-size stage, a café, a Learning Center, a theatre-long art gallery and a magnificent glass-walled promenade. The Palace is dedicated to providing exciting entertainment that enriches the cultural, educational, economic and social life of the community.

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