Philadelphia High School Presents Regional World Premiere of PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN

Roundabout Theatre Company and Education at Roundabout recently announced that Philadelphia School for Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) in Philadelphia, PA will present the regional premiere of PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN. Written by Daniel Robert Sullivan and a team of New York City teenagers, Prospect High: Brooklyn was developed in partnership with Education at Roundabout and the Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowships. The play will have its world premiere in 23 high school productions across the country, September 2015 - May 2016. CAPA will present the play tonight and tomorrow, February 4th and 5th at 6:30 PM at 901 South Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19147. Call 215-952-2462 for more information.

The CAPA production will be helmed by teacher and director, Dr. Marlene Goebig.

Says Dr. Goebig, "I am very excited to be involved with this production of Prospect High: Brooklyn! It is very difficult to find large-cast pieces for student actors, and this play has presented the opportunity for my students to work with a subject matter that is relevant and timely to them, and their audience of other teens and family members, while involving the entire Theater 4 class. Several of my students have directed individual scenes, and my role is to direct scenes and provide guidance and direction to the entire production. The themes and issues in the show, including transgender students, bullying, and family conflict, have provided the students with valuable insight into their own feelings about these issues, which are incredibly familiar to inner-city teens. There is not an issue in the play that has not affected a member of the cast in a direct way. Like any well-written show, Prospect High: Brooklyn has allowed my students to see the universal impact of issues that they felt were particular to their experience and to gain new perspectives about them. The student actors and directors have gained valuable insight into the human condition that they are eager to share with the audience. To me, that is one of the most important things that any theatrical experience can do! We are grateful to Roundabout Theatre Company, Daniel Robert Sullivan, and the student playwrights for the opportunity to work on this show, are incredibly proud of the work we have done on Prospect High: Brooklyn!"

Conceived by Daniel Robert Sullivan (Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys, Author of Places Please!) and co-written by a team of New York City teenagers, the play focuses on four intelligent, highly charged students and one seriously apathetic teacher. Prospect High: Brooklyn was created with the intent of offering a new collection of serious, true-to-life material for teenage actors. The play addresses themes of apathy, revenge, deep friendship, trans acceptance, casual racism, self-harm, and the power of both good and bad advice from teachers, all against the backdrop of an enormous Brooklyn high school. Prospect High: Brooklyn can be performed by 5 - 18 actors.

"The National New Play Network introduced the concept of a rolling world premiere in 1998, and I've always thought it would be great to offer that kind of arrangement to high schools. There is so much energy and power in teenage theatre-makers, but that positive force is often felt only locally. By introducing this fierce new play to the nation's high schools in a coordinated way, Roundabout is not only promoting the play with positive publicity, but the schools themselves. After much research, we chose 23 of the boldest high school theatre departments from across the country and can use this first-ever high school rolling world premier to recognize them and expose their power at a national level," notes creator Daniel Robert Sullivan.

Prospect High: Brooklyn was recently awarded semi-finalist status for the 2015 National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Center and has been published by Smith & Kraus.

Sullivan adds, "I wanted to create an issue-driven, age-appropriate, ethnically-diverse, flexible-cast play that represents the extremes inherent in an urban high school environment. Through nine months of collaboration, these teenagers have introduced me to the issues and debates most important to them. We've structured these conversations into the play."

The following productions are currently scheduled for the 2015-16 academic year:

• Indianapolis: Broad Ripple Magnet High School for the Arts and Humanities (September 2015)
• Memphis: Ridgeway High School (November 2015)
• Syracuse: Corcoran High School (November 2015)
• Philadelphia: Academy at Palumbo (December 2015)
• Providence: Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts (December 2015)
• Boston: Boston Arts Academy (December 2015)
• Bridgeport: Central High School (December 2015)
• Harrisburg: Capital Area School for the Arts (December 2015)
• Milwaukee: Milwaukee High School of the Arts (December 2015)
• Ann Arbor: Pioneer High School (January 2016)
• Louisville: Youth Performing Arts High School (January 2016)
• Oklahoma City: Harding Fine Arts Academy (January 2016)
• San Jose: Lincoln High School (January 2016)
• Minneapolis: Southwest High School (February 2016)
• Chicago: Niles West High School (February 2016)
• Tallahassee: Leon High School (February 2016)
• Dallas: Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy (February 2016)
• Philadelphia: Philadelphia School for Creative and Performing Arts (February 2016)
• Long Island: Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts (April 2016)
• Austin: McCallum Fine Arts Academy (April 2016)
• Baltimore: Baltimore School for the Arts (May 2016)
• San Diego: San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (May 2016)

In New York City, the Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts will perform the play in Roundabout's own Black Box Theatre in early Spring 2016.

Co-writers of the play include Daniel Robert Sullivan, Paul Stoll, Aaliyah Stewart, Isaiah Latimer, Chanique Peart, Deshaye Tingling, Amanda Rodriguez, Jaylin Acosta, Brandy Brown, Azaria Guthrie, Rebecca Powell, Rachel Friedman, and Shannon Deep.

Prospect High: Brooklyn received a workshop presentation at Roundabout Theatre Company in April 2014 under the direction of Shelley Butler and was originally developed with dramaturg Shannon Deep. It is currently being further developed at the Nevada Conservatory Theatre, in association with the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, under the direction of Christopher V. Edwards.

The script is now available on Amazon and directly from Smith & Kraus. To learn more about the development of Prospect High: Brooklyn, please visit TCG Circle at the link here.

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