Theater Education Programs
Theater Masters hosts the Aspiring Playwrights Competition, an annual 10-minute play competition amongst the high school students of the Roaring Fork Valley. Students, many of whom have never before written a play, are given playwriting workshops during school hours by our professional Teaching Artists and then write an original 10-minute play to submit to the competition.
Each year, between 1-3 winning playwrights receive a full production in Aspen, Colorado of their 10-minute play(s) with a professional director from New York and a cast of local actors, alongside the winners of the National MFA Playwrights Festival. These winning high school playwrights not only get the experience of being a professional playwright, but, along with the MFA students, receive a professional critique on their work.
Each year, between 1-3 winning playwrights receive a full production in Aspen, Colorado of their 10-minute play(s) with a professional director from New York and a cast of local actors, alongside the winners of the National MFA Playwrights Festival. These winning high school playwrights not only get the experience of being a professional playwright, but, along with the MFA students, receive a professional critique on their work.
School Outreach Program
Theater Masters sends professional Teaching Artists into the Roaring Fork Valley High Schools each Fall to English and/or Theater classes to offer students in-depth playwriting workshops in preparation for The Aspiring Playwrights Competition. These workshops, which are taught in collaboration with the high school teachers, serve both as a springboard to explore good play-making practices, as well as a key literacy tool to improve verbal and written language skills. These in-school playwriting classes are tailored to meet the standards of Benchmark Three as defined by the Colorado Department of Education.
The Teaching Artists then go back into the classrooms during the Winter term and, using local actors, perform readings of many of the Finalists plays, using the performances as a tool to ask the students to discuss effective communication of ideas, successful writing structure, and the process of re-writing.
All students who participate in these in-school workshops are offered subsidized tickets and encouraged to attend the Take Ten performance of the winning Aspiring and National MFA Plays in order to deepen their understanding of the coursework.
The Teaching Artists then go back into the classrooms during the Winter term and, using local actors, perform readings of many of the Finalists plays, using the performances as a tool to ask the students to discuss effective communication of ideas, successful writing structure, and the process of re-writing.
All students who participate in these in-school workshops are offered subsidized tickets and encouraged to attend the Take Ten performance of the winning Aspiring and National MFA Plays in order to deepen their understanding of the coursework.
winning high school plays
We had the privilege of collaborating with GrassRoots here in Aspen, CO on a podcast reading of this year's winning high school plays from our 2017 Aspiring Playwrights Contest! Congratulations, Zamira Mullally and Genevieve LaMee.
Last ConfessionWritten by Zamira Mullally
Glenwood Springs High School. |
The Book RecommendationWritten by Genevieve LaMee
Glenwood Springs High School. |
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