(September 29, 2022) - Theater projects from Cheltenham and Myers Elementary Schools have been selected to be performed as part of the Philadelphia Young Playwrights SaturPlay showcase on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Fairmount Park’s Smith Playhouse. This year’s competition included more than 600 submissions from students in third through 12th grade.
The monologue “Ruby’s Complaint,” by now-fifth grader Amelia Krivda, won first place in the elementary school monologue category. Amelia wrote “Ruby’s Complaint” as a member of Nancy Bianchini’s fourth grade class at Myers, with Jaime Osea overseeing the playwright program.
In this modern twist on “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Ruby’s Complaint” introduces readers to Ruby, who is upset about the deforestation on the way to grandmother’s house. She is empowered to write a letter to the company and convinces them to stop what they are doing. The story has a guest appearance from the former first daughter, Sasha Obama, who invites Ruby to join her environmental conservation organization, Kids Plant the Earth, and they work together to save the woods.
“The Magical Mystery,” a class play from Cheltenham Elementary, earned a first-place finish in the elementary school play category and will also be performed as part of SaturPlay. “The Magical Mystery” is an epic one-act play about Cindy’s evil plan to steal all the magic jewels in the world from all the cats in order to gather power. Doll is working to thwart that plan with the help of her mentor Goldy who helps her understand the power of friendship.
With guidance from Gerald Aungst, writers on “The Magical Mystery” included current fourth graders Jocelyn Agbadan, Ariana Bond, Kennedy Diggs, Summer Diggs, Claire Fadako, Macy Griffin, Alexa Haynie, Kennedi Johnson, London Lewis Johnson, Akil Jones, Robyn Lewis, Lilly Ostrowski, Madison Parker, Nolan Quinn, Kimora Robinson, Maya Robinson, Trinity Sylla, and Ashley Venit.
As winning playwrights, students are invited to attend one (or more) of the rehearsals of their work to get an inside glimpse of how the play will come off the page and onto the stage.
