Winners Announced In Marilyn Bianchi Kids' Playwriting Festival

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Dobama Theatre announced the winners of the 41st annual Marilyn Bianchi Kids' Playwriting Festival this month.

Students from across Northeast Ohio submitted their dramatic works for consideration. Winners from various age groups were selected by a committee.

“Northeast Ohio is absolutely brimming with artistic talent,” said Festival Manager Colin Anderson, “and the submissions we receive each year are a testament to that. Selecting this year’s winners has been an enormous challenge, and one that we are both grateful and delighted to face.”

Every work submitted was judged by at least three readers. Judges scored the shows based on three criteria: imagination, human values and uniqueness of the playwright's voice.

The winning shows will be produced at Dobama. Auditions for roles in the shows will run April 13 and April 16. For more information or to reserve an audition slot, email Education Associate Carrie Williams at youngplaywrights@dobama.org.

“We want to thank all of the young artists who submitted plays to us this year,” said Carrie Williams, Dobama Theatre’s Education Associate and Festival Producer, “as well as all of the writers, educators, and theatre professionals who served as judges. The Festival would not be
possible without the support of our community.”

Here are this year's winners:

• "What is a Unicorn?" by Malai Green, 3rd Grade, Central School, Bedford
• "Cookie Battles" by Calvin Fischer, 4th Grade, Royal View Elementary, North Royalton
• "Oh Gnome!" by Isabella Rezny, 4th Grade, Royal View Elementary, Broadview Heights
• "The Thinking Machine" by Grady Bokoch, 7th Grade, North Royalton Middle School, North
• Royalton
• "Detention in a Different Dimension" by Jeremy Campbell, 7th Grade, North Royalton Middle School, North Royalton

• "Sidekick" by Mary Proctor, 8th Grade, Homeschool, Cleveland Heights
• "Vicky Velocity and the Star Strikers" by Anthony Koonce, 10th Grade, Homeschool,Cleveland Heights

• "Prosper" by John Rosa, 12th Grade, St. Martin de Porres High School, Cleveland
• "Money Maker" by Da’Shae Hall, 12th Grade, St. Martin de Porres High School, Cleveland
• "9:50 to Close" by Adonis Fryer, 12th Grade, Shaker Heights High School, Shaker Heights

In addition to the above listed plays, the Festival also identified the following submissions as "Meritorious,":

• "Dwarfs Ordinarily Walk In The Woods" by Dale Agostino, 3rd Grade, Independence Primary School, Independence

• "The Weather Maker" by Kaylee Alexander, 3rd Grade, Central School, Bedford
• "Wish Star" by Bryn Safran, 4th Grade, Roxboro Elementary, Cleveland Heights
• "A Little Birdie Told Me" by Ariana DiMaria, 4th Grade, John Muir Elementary, Parma
• "Dogs and Hot Dogs" by Alexander Brihn, 7th Grade, North Royalton Middle School, North Royalton

• "Move Over, Thespis" by Rosalie Sajovie, 11th Grade, Garfield Heights High School, Garfield Heights

• "Concealer" by Bronwyn Warnock, 11th Grade, Shaker Heights High School, Shaker Heights
• "The Homosexorcism" by Harlan Friedman-Romell, 12th Grade, Shaker Heights High School, Shaker Heights
• LOCKED UP! by Ruben Arteaga, 12th Grade, St. Martin de Porres High School, Cleveland
• LA MUERTE DEL VERDADERO AMOR by Isiah Ruiz, 12th Grade, St. Martin de Porres High School, Cleveland