Circle Theatre Announces Second Annual Short Play Festival

Circle Theatre presents its Second Annual Short Play Festival. This program is funded through grants from the CSG Foundation and the Nebraska Arts Council.

A sharing of short plays, written by students with disabilities, will be read May 3rd and 4th at 7:00 p.m. Both performances are free of charge and will take place at the Circle Theatre's new home located at Hansom Park United Methodist Church at 4444 Frances Street in Omaha, NE.

Each participating school worked with professional playwrights. Jennifer Castello-Scott visited each special education classroom and facilitated a series of workshops resulting in the short plays the festival will feature. This format, created by Jennifer Castello-Scott, allows Circle Theatre to give voice to students who rarely get a platform to express their creativity in our community. Circle Theatre believes the community benefits greatly by hearing these diverse voices on stage. "We hope this festival will continue for many seasons to come," says Fran Sillau, Circle Theatre Executive Artistic Director.

"This project has been one of the most fun and rewarding experiences I've had the honor of teaching. The classrooms are so positive and in just five days, we see such a growth in the students' energy and classroom participation," exclaimed program developer, Jennifer Castello-Scott.

North High School Teacher, Ariel Dappen, states "Circle Theater has been an awesome experience for North High students because it has taught them how to work together and compromise while also having fun." Day one, the students don't really know what to do as they are stretching their faces and acting like lions and bears. However, by day five they are sharing inside jokes, memorized lines, and there is confidence as students take the stage in their own original play.

"I can't believe we get so much done in just five days. The students are learning the basics of acting and end up with a finished script and performance. It's been so engaging, exciting, and meaningful," concluded Scott.