Trinity Repertory Company Announces Student Playwriting Competition Winners

Trinity Repertory Company's 12th annual playwriting competition for New England high school students, Write Here! Write Now! announces its four winning plays: The Dragon's Crown by William Derby (Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Arts, Pawtucket), Busy People by Seoyon Kim (The Wheeler School, Providence), The Sudden Plunge of a Great Creature by Wesley Memery (La Salle Academy, Cranston), and Plants Don't Count as Friends by Eisley Morgan (Classical High School, Providence).

"To witness high school students explore, express, and create art through storytelling is truly remarkable," Education Programs Coordinator and Write Here! Write Now! organizer Joi Wright said. "It's such an exciting opportunity for students to delve into playwriting and cultivate new skills whilst having the platform to produce and further develop their plays with dramaturgs. This year's winners exceed in captivating us with their wit, human existence, and electrifying plots and dialogue. I am so proud of all the students who took the leap to submit plays this year, because it isn't an easy task. These young people give me hope for the future and we are honored to share their stories."

The winning plays will be performed at Trinity Rep on May 2, 2023. The reading will feature local actors and will be free to the public. Winners also receive scholarships towards any Trinity Rep Young Actors Studio after-school classes, and 20 free tickets to 2023-24 Season Project Discovery student matinees for their schools.

ABOUT THE WINNERS

William Derby is a 10th grade student at the Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Arts in Pawtucket, RI. His play The Dragon's Crown is about a book club meeting that goes off the rails. The story is inspired by William's experiences of school life, finding people who share passion, and creating art. William was also one of last year's winners for his play The Great, Great Outdoors.

Seoyon Kim is a 10th grade student at The Wheeler School in Providence, RI. Her play Busy People is an experiment in not taking things too seriously-an off-beat, pared-down bildungsroman about fighting for friendship in a parking lot and a troubled woman just looking for time to herself.

Wesley Memery is an 11th grade student at La Salle Academy in Cranston, RI. His play, The Sudden Plunge of a Great Creature details an illuminating conversation between a man and an animal. Aside from playwriting, Wesley's interests include acting. He once graced the Trinity Rep stage in 2017's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Eisley Morgan is a 12th grade student at Classical High School in Providence, RI. Their play Plants Don't Count as Friends follows a short interaction between two best friends and how they accommodate each other's disabilities. The play's main characters are based on Eisley's experiences with autism and ADHD.

This year's honorable mentions go to Watch the Stars by Ace Mosier (Barrington High School, Barrington) and The Weight of the Human Heart by Noelle "Ellis" Bastein (homeschooled, Pawtucket).

Write Here! Write Now! is Trinity Rep's annual playwriting competition for students in grades 9-12. Creative writing, English, and theater teachers from all New England high schools are encouraged to incorporate playwriting into their classroom curriculum. Trinity Rep provides lesson plans to support this opportunity. Whether students complete their plays independently or as part of a class, they may submit up to two 10-minute plays free of charge to the Write Here! Write Now! competition.

Each year, four winners are selected, with at least one winner from a Providence, RI school. Resources for teachers, including a guide for bringing the Write Here! Write Now! curriculum into the classroom, are available on Trinity Rep's website.

Scripts are adjudicated through a blind evaluation process by Trinity Rep's educational and artistic staff as well as by guests from the community. Every play that is submitted receives feedback to aid in the development of the student's creative voice.

Rhode Island's Tony Award-winning theater, Trinity Rep has created unparalleled professional theater for and with its community since its founding in 1963. Trinity Rep strives to facilitate human connection and has been a driving force behind the creativity that fuels and defines the region for more than 50 years. Trinity Rep is committed to reinventing the public square and inspiring dialogue by creating emotionally stimulating live productions that range from classical to contemporary and innovative education programs for all ages and abilities. Its annual production of A Christmas Carol has brought families together for more than four decades and made memories for over a million audience members.

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