B Street Theatre Takes Student Written Plays on the Road

This week The B Street Theatre School Tour production of Fantasy Festival XXVI hits the road.  This is the 26^th year that elementary and middle schools students throughout northern California have submitted original plays to B Street's annual playwriting contest for young people.  Out of over 150 plays submitted this year, just 5 have been selected for the tour. The resulting combined show of these 5 winning plays will be performed at 153 assemblies in over 108 schools in northern California between March 19 and June 8, 2012.

The winning plays are Gretel and Bob and the Curse of the Sarcophagus written by Tamsen Dean and Nathaniel Wiede of Rocklin Elementary School; How Chad and Jimmy Saved the World by JessAmy Johnson of Gold Oak Arts Charter School; Mutts in a Rutt by Kimberly Bean of Taylor Street Elementary School; What Not To Wear: Royal Edition by Chrissy Ainger and Dominique Perez of Sutterville Elementary School, Sacramento; A Series of Sitters by Mia Whitfield also from Sutterville Elementary School.  

The resulting show incorporates all five short scripts to create a fast-paced production officially targeted at grades Kindergarten through 8^th, but grabs the attention of older students and adults in the audience, too. The writing this year takes the audience on journeys of space travel, fashion make-overs, baby sitters, a tour of Egyptian archeological sites, and doggy adventures in Paris.

"This is an engaging and exciting motivation for students to write and share with a real audience.  B Street Theater is always excitedly awaited by staff, parents and students alike," said Jodi Westphal,  Principal of Spanger School in Roseville.

"We want to give a SHOUT OUT and THANK YOU to B Street Theatre and everyone who had a part in bringing this wonderful experience to my students. To say that they loved B Street Theatre and the actors/actresses, is an understatement. The company connected so well with my students, took time to answer their questions, and were great examples of working towards making your personal dreams come true," said Charlotte Chadwick, Principal of John Bidwell Elementary School in Sacramento.

More information at www.bstreettheatre.org.