For Immediate Release: March 23, 2006
Media Contact: Amy Watson Bish, Delaware Theatre Company, 302.594.1104 x228

Middle School Readings - May 16, 2006 at 7:30 p.m.
High School Performances - May 25 & 26, 2006 at 7:30 p.m.

Drum roll please! The Delaware Theatre Company (DTC) is proud to announce the award winners for the 2006 Delaware Young Playwrights Festival (DYPF). 2006 marks the 17th anniversary of DYPF and its reach continues to be impressive. This year saw the submission of 432 plays from 582 playwrights. From those first draft submissions, the competition was narrowed down to seven middle school semi-finalists and eight high school semi-finalists. The Festival, generously sponsored by ING Direct, culminates in late May with a full-blown celebration of Delaware creativity, including performances of student plays, student artwork and student theatre critics.

"The purpose of DYPF is to give students throughout the state of Delaware a chance to be heard," says Artistic Associate David Stradley. "We want students in all three counties to know that at DTC there are people who care passionately about the stories they have to tell, and we want to share those stories with an audience in our theatre."

A reading of the Middle School winners' plays on May 16, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. is free and open to the public. The High School winners' plays will be performed on May 25 & 26, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the High School performances are $12 for adults and $6 for children. An awards ceremony and reception is planned for May 16 and May 25. All Festival events are held at DTC. Call the DTC Box Office at (302) 594-1100 for more information about attending.

Winners of the Middle School division include: Ruby Necklace by Julia Bristow of Talley Middle School; The Power of Being Short by Lauren Buzdygon of Talley Middle School; and Blue Is Blue by Lindsay Reed of Cab Calloway School of the Arts. Ruby Necklace is a sweet comedy about a middle school nerd torn between his friendship with the school tomboy and his long-time crush on the most popular girl in the school. The Power of Being Short is a quirky comedy about a diminutive daughter trying to convince her mom to let her try out for the middle school wrestling team. Blue Is Blue is a powerful one-person drama in which a 16-year-old boy shares with the audience about his life with an alcoholic father.

Winners of the High School division include: The Best Suit in the Deck by Leah Fett of Glasgow High School; The Tumbling Effects by Brooklynn Hitchens of Mount Pleasant High School; and Déjà Redo by Nick LaMedica of Cab Calloway School of the Arts. The Best Suit in the Deck is a comic fable about four best friends protesting the dulling effects of school uniforms by wearing swimsuits to express their individuality. The Tumbling Effects is a searing African-American family drama that features rap free-styling and spoken word poetry. Déjà Redo is a creative romantic comedy that allows the protagonists to bend and repeat reality until they get things just right.

Middle School semi-finalists include: The Steroid Scandal at Dallas High by Jack Cardinal and Mike Vanderloo of Hanby Middle School; Hidden Scars by Claire Chambless of Talley Middle School; Now and Then, Here and There by Phaedra Scott of Talley Middle School; and Bob, The Magical Pony by Kyle Taylor of Talley Middle School. High School semi-finalists include: Lunch with Anna by Kristen Dricken of Cab Calloway School of the Arts; Parsnip and Scarborough are.Complete And Utter Bastards! by Dan Hart and Colin Shalo of A.I. DuPont High School; Brigid's Suicide by Rosemarie Jermusyk of Cab Calloway School of the Arts; 38 Hours and 23 Minutes with Willard by Daniel Jones of Brandywine High School; and 'Tis the Season by Caroline Ryon of Sanford School.

Middle School honorable mentions go to: Dean and his Problems by Kayla Glass of Selbyville Middle School; Three Wishes by Joshua Ventresca of Caravel Academy; and My Mommy Never Ate Ice Cream by Erin Williams of Ursuline Academy. High School honorable mentions go to: Eclipse of the Son by Kyra Corradin and Jes Johnstone of Cab Calloway School of the Arts; Brownie Wise by Julianne Dudley, Anna Galati, Michelle Keefe, and Melinda Marcus of Padua Academy; Irrespective of the Consequences by M. Evelyn Parker of Mount Pleasant High School; School Lunch Sandwich Psychoanalysis by Zealan Salemi of Newark High School.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the DTC Box Office at (302) 594-1100 or visit our website: www.delawaretheatre.org. DTC's 2005 - 2006 Season. Some things you just gotta see! Delaware Theatre Company's 2005-2006 season is sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. DYPF is sponsored by ING Direct. Artist transportation provided by Amtrak. This program is made possible, in part, by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency committed to promoting and supporting the arts in Delaware. The Delaware Division of the Arts provides technical and financial assistance to artists and arts programs and serves as a clearinghouse for information on the arts.

Delaware Theatre Company, Delaware's premier professional theatre, is located at 200 Water Street, on Wilmington's exciting Riverfront. Delaware Theatre Company is a member of the League of Resident Theatres, Theatre Communications Group, the Arts Consortium of Delaware, the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, and the Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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