Local students light up the boards in play writing marathon

Zian Mahfuz – Mustangs Ahead

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL)- The LRHS theatre periods held their 17thannual playwriting marathon on Friday, May 4. The marathon ran from the beginning of fifth period to 8:30 p.m.

The playwriting marathon is a day filled with student-made plays, costumes, and makeup.

Theatre and costume/makeup students showcased their productions to their classmates. They have been working on these projects since the beginning of fourth quarter.

The stage plays were originals or adaptions from movies and TV shows. Some included “Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Meet the Robinsons,” and “Modern Family.”

The costume and makeup projects had to be based on a character from a movie or TV show. Some Mustangs chose to look like Emily from “The Corpse Bride”, Chucky, Jayla from “Star Trek”, and The Joker to name a few.

LRHS drama director Roxanne Caravan explained that students’ finals should be presented in front of others because it celebrates what went in for the production. It’s inspirational to others.

The event is completely student driven. Caravan said it is rewarding to sit back and watch all the plays and designs created by her students.

The marathon took a lot of work and planning. Coordinating the event was hard due to student’s schedules and testing. In the end, most of her students had the chance to show their final play.

“Playwriting incorporates all the disciplines of theatre. It’s important because it shows and allows students, what it really takes in order to completely put together a production from script to stage. It’s a healthy way to respect the process,” said Caravan.

Sophomore Gyvalia Henry said, “I saw the talent of my peers and their true artistic abilities. We did many makeup projects in class, so I felt prepared for this final project and ready to use what I have learned.”

An original play called “Pesky Luther” kicked off the marathon. After the play students were served Michaelangelo’s pizza for lunch.

After the third block of plays and costumes, students were served sub sandwiches.

The marathon ended with “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” which was a dance showcase.

“The playwriting marathon was a fun experience and a good way to encourage the arts. I enjoyed working alongside my classmates and friends. This being my last year made things more sentimental and I am excited to come to the next marathon and support the fine arts further,” said senior Ethan Troller.

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