Each September, Dobama sends out information to schools in Cuyahoga County, as the Festival is open to young playwrights between the ages of 6 and 18 who live in the county. Traditionally, between four and five hundred submissions are received, with each script being read several times and scored on its own merits, not against any of the others. Unfortunately, not all the winning plays can be produced, due to logistics, funding, and various other constraints, such as size of cast, sets, etc., but what is presented is eye-opening, to say the least.
This year, the City of Cleveland Heights and Cain Park provided a home for the presentation in the Alma Theatre, which is a nearly perfect venue for this type of program.
This year, the produced plays were: The Magic Eraser by Jake Adelstein, Grade 2, Lewis Elementary School. Portrait of Grief by Katrina Walker, Grade 5, Greater Cleveland Academy for Gifted Students. A Squire’s Night by Michael J. Clemente, Jr., Grade 4, Royal View Elementary School. Just Call Me Charlie by Lauren Hasek, Grade 8, North Royalton Middle School (whose other selected play A Runaway Memory was not produced.) The Magical Mirror by Elena I. Joyce, Grade 3, Brookview Elementary School. The Super Hampster by Jason Marmash, Grade 2, Glendale Elementary School, and Neo Saves the World Again for the First Time, by Alex Nemeth, Grade 8, North Royalton Middle School.
Participants as Directors were: Bernadette Clemens, Julia Kolibab, Jesse Alison, Joel Hammer, Molly Cornwell, Joyce Casey and Marc Moritz. Several local members of Actors’ Equity Association participated as well: Betsy Hogg, Glenn Colerider, John Kolibab and Mitchell Fields, while other theater notables participate as judges. Among these are Teddi Gibson-Bianchi, Ron Newell, Seth Gordon, Lissa Keller, Todd Krispinsky, Mary Jane Nottage, Barbara J. Quill (who also did the costuming), Mary Walsh and playwright Eric Coble.
Demonstrating their versatility, the young stage crew also took turns entertaining the audience while scenery was being changed between plays. Sets were designed by Ben Needham, Lighting by Andrew Kaletta, Sound by Josh Senick and Props by Sarah Hyde.
Kudos all around to the entire Dobama family: the performers, the young playwrights, the local theater community members who read the submitted plays, and not least, the ANGELS who provided funding for this endeavor which was presented free to the community in five performances. Sponsoring foundations were the Hershey Foundation and the George W. Codrington Foundation. This is a truly wonderful and very worthwhile community effort. If you’ve never attended one of these productions, be sure to catch it next year. Young playwrights and others can obtain more information about this venture from the theater at (216) 932-6838 or by visiting the web-site: http://www.dobama.org
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATadelphia.net
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