Playwrights Project applauds young writers

CARLSBAD — Playwrights Project will present readings of Plays by Young Writers, featuring four plays written by Carlsbad teens at 7 p.m. June 13 in the Schulman Auditorium at the Dove Library, 1775 Dove Lane.
The event is free, but donations are welcomed at the door. No reservations are necessary, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at 6 p.m. For details, call the Playwrights Project at (619) 239-8222 or visit playwrightsproject.org
Each of the plays read have been winners or finalists of the California Young Playwrights Contest.
Scripts include “Idaho Lament” by Ben Kelly, age 13; “King of the Couch” by Rory Gallagher, written at age 14; and “Shakespeare in Therapy” by Alix Conde, written at age 16. The fourth script, “Trevor” by Ben Kelly, was written at age 18 and was featured in the 26th season of Plays by Young Writers at the Lyceum Theatre in April 2011. Teen-actor Dylan Hoffinger will return to reprise his much-acclaimed role at the reading.
Kelly first became involved in writing when he took part in a Playwrights Project playwriting residency in his seventh-grade class at Calavera Hills Middle School, funded by – Carlsbad Cultural Arts Office through a community arts grant. His play “Idaho Lament” won the 2005 California Young Playwrights Contest, and was produced as a staged reading. Last year, the play toured schools in San Diego County. Kelly’s newest play, “Trevor,” is about a 13-year-old Trevor, a quirky, misunderstood outsider with a plan — world domination! Ben is currently a freshman at UC Davis, majoring in English.
Conde wrote her play “Shakespeare in Therapy” as part of a Playwrights Project playwriting residency in her drama class at Pacific Ridge School. Her script follows a boy who only speaks in Shakespearian quotes, and his family’s determination to discover why. Her play was a finalist in the 2010 California Young Playwrights Contest. Conde is currently a senior at Pacific Ridge School.
Gallagher wrote “King of the Couch” as part of the Playwrights Project playwriting residency in his eighth-grade English class at Calavera Hills Middle School. His script is about an outdoor cat that yearns for the comforts of indoors. Young Writers also produced “King of the Couch” as a staged reading in the 23rd season. Gallagher is a student at Carlsbad High School.
Sponsors of Plays by Young Writers include the Carlsbad Library and Arts Foundation’s Robert H. Gartner Cultural Endowment Fund, the City of Carlsbad and the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.