2021 New Play Festival!
The boards at Crystal Sea Drama Company have been empty and quiet for a few weeks. But that ends this Monday as we begin our third rendition of one of the most exciting opportunities CSDC offers its students: New Play Festival 2021!
Twelve student actors will rehearse for two weeks under the direction of three student directors to perform three brand new plays . . . written by two CSDC students and an alumna. It’s an exciting and intense summer event that provides some uncommon experiences for the young people who participate.
CSDC's first Playfest took place in 2016 with two student-written plays, directed (and, to a great extent, produced) by their playwrights. The performances were a great success . . . and the idea was repeated in 2018 with three graduating seniors taking on the duty of directing three new plays written by students and an alum.
This year’s edition added the element of extended instruction for our playwrights and directors. Irene Miller, CSDC’s Executive Artistic Director, taught a Directing class in the spring semester, preparing students for their new role this summer. We also offered a Playwriting class, taught by Gwen Kandt, teacher/director and published playwright.
Audience members had the privilege of contributing feedback in the playwriting process at April’s staged readings of this summer’s three offerings.
“Playfest has always been a great experience for me. Seeing your script performed on stage is very different from seeing it on the page,” says Leslie Kandt, CSDC alumna. Kandt wrote “Fairy Tale Court”, one of the plays being performed in July; she also contributed a script to the 2018 Playfest and performed in all of the past student-written plays. “My experiences at CSDC have benefitted me now as I teach my own theater classes. I give my students leadership roles and responsibilities in the same way I learned here.”
Performances of “Fairy Tale Court”, “Pageturners”, and “Turf Wars” at the 2021 New Play Festival are at 7:30pm, July 16 and 17. Tickets are on sale now!
