Oakland's Skyline High School to Debut PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN at Edinburgh Fringe

Roundabout Theatre Company and Education at Roundabout have announced that Skyline High School in Oakland, CA will present the Edinburgh Fringe Festival premiere of PROSPECT HIGH: BROOKLYN as part of the American High School Theatre Festival, which runs in conjunction with the Fringe.

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 was the first in history to experience a high school theatre Rolling World Premiere in 2016, receiving more than 30 coordinated productions throughout the United States.

Skyline High School will present the play on August 5th, 7th, 8th, and 9th at thespace@Venue45 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Tickets are £5.00 and may be purchased here: tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/prospect-high-brooklyn.

The Skyline High School production will be helmed by teacher and director, Awele (ah WAY lay).

Says Awele, "Prospect High: Brooklyn has not only been a play to produce, it has been a gift of opportunity for self-examination, civic and artistic engagement with our community, and a call to action. We've explored what's going on in the lives of teens at school. We've had deep discussions amongst ourselves and with middle-schoolers across the San Francisco Bay, from San Jose to Richmond, about the themes in the play and the types of conflict. We've experienced and witnessed the need to examine and address the root causes and systems that perpetuate negative conditions of climate and culture in schools, and the need to deepen community and relationship building. We've learned locally, and now look forward to the international impact our performances and dialogues can bring. This opportunity of a lifetime is made possible by rigorous fundraising and the support of our community. To quote my students: 'This is mind blowing.' 'I'm over the moon!' 'We reached what seemed an impossible goal.' 'We're really doing it!' 'Think locally and at globally.' My goal as a drama teacher and director is to nurture the creative genes of young artists to grow!"

Conceived by Daniel Robert Sullivan (Tommy in Jersey Boys, Barney in Motown, 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. Visit ProspectHighBrooklyn.com for more information.

"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 was able to promote both the play and the schools with positive publicity. More than 30 productions in the first year allowed us to expose the power of high school theatre at a national level," notes creator Daniel Robert Sullivan.

Prospect High: Brooklyn was 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."

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 was further developed at the Nevada Conservatory Theatre, in association with the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, under the direction of Christopher V. Edwards.

To learn more about the development of Prospect High: Brooklyn, visit TCG Circle at the link here.

Student actors performing in the Edinburgh premiere include Avelina Rivezzo-Weber, Atlantis Clay, Nadia Brooks, Kyla Henderson, Demetri Freeman-Tubby, and Richard Nguyen.

Daniel Robert Sullivan and Roundabout Theatre Company are participants in the Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowships, funded by the William & Eva Fox Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications Group.

Education programs at Roundabout are supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Education at Roundabout uses theatre to enhance teacher practice and deepen student learning in New York City classrooms. Using the professional theatre resources of Roundabout Theatre Company, Education at Roundabout is dedicated to: transform the classrooms of New York City public schools; engage students in theatre experiences that explore the universal themes of the human condition; build a community of confident, expressive young people; foster a new generation of artists and arts administrators; and expand the impact of Roundabout's productions by providing historical, literary and social contexts in the classroom. Visit roundabouttheatre.org/education for more.

Education at Roundabout connects with students and teachers through customized school partnerships, residency programs, mentorships and workshops in the practice of professional theatrical skills, professional development workshops, internships, apprenticeships, backstage tours, talkbacks and pre-show workshops. For each Roundabout production, Education also creates Upstage guides, which include interviews, contextual information, teacher resources and activities, and presents a post-show Lecture Series hosted by Education dramaturg Ted Sod and featuring a distinguished artist, scholar, historian or critic.

Roundabout Theatre Company is committed to producing the highest quality theatre with the finest artists, sharing stories that endure, and providing accessibility to all audiences. A not-for-profit company, Roundabout fulfills its mission each season through the production of classic plays and musicals; development and production of new works by established and emerging writers; educational initiatives that enrich the lives of children and adults; and a subscription model and audience outreach programs that cultivate and engage all audiences.

Roundabout Theatre Company presents a variety of plays, musicals, and new works on its five stages, each of which is specifically designed to enhance the needs of Roundabout's mission. Off-Broadway, the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, which houses the Laura Pels Theatre and Black Box Theatre, with its simple sophisticated design, is perfectly suited to showcasing new plays. The grandeur of its Broadway home on 42nd Street, American Airlines Theatre, sets the ideal stage for the classics. Roundabout's Studio 54 provides an exciting and intimate Broadway venue for its musical and special event productions. The Stephen Sondheim Theatre offers a state of the art LEED-certified Broadway theatre in which to stage major large-scale musical revivals. Together these distinctive homes serve to enhance Roundabout's work on each of its stages.

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