WHEN:     Wednesday, March 28 – Student Matinees at 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.
                 Thursday, March 29 – Student Matinees at 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.
                                                          Ticketed Performance at 7 p.m.
                  Friday, March 30 – Student Matinee at 10 a.m.
                  Saturday, March 31 – Ticketed Performance at 2 p.m.

WHERE:     InterAct Theatre Company at The Adrienne
                   2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

WHO:         Student playwrights and representatives from Philadelphia Young Playwrights
                    and InterAct will be available for interviews. Student talkbacks will follow all
                    student matinees.

ADMISSION: All student matinees are FREE and only open to invited student groups.
                    For reservations to student matinees, contact Anjoli Santiago
                    at (215) 665-9226. Ticketed performances are $10 and open to the
                   general public. Tickets are available at the InterAct Theatre Company Box
                   Office by phone at (215) 568-8079.

WHAT: Winning student monologues from area high schools will be performed during the 2012 Young Voices High School Monologue Festival from March 28 – 31 at The Adrienne (2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia). Presented through the on-going partnership of Philadelphia Young Playwrights and InterAct Theatre Company, the festival highlights student pieces that range from poignant to light- hearted and offer a surprising insight into current issues such as addiction, race identity, war and the economy. Philadelphia Young Playwrights’ recently appointed Resident Director David O’Connor will serve as the Festival’s Production Director and will oversee a cast and crew of professional theater artists from the Philadelphia region.

This year’s Monologue Festival received just over 400 entries, exceeding last year’s total by more than 100 submissions. The 17 winning monologues were chosen from 13 participating high schools: the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, Academy at Palumbo, Central High School, Constitution High School, High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, J. R. Masterman, Lower Merion High School, Murrell Dobbins C. T. E., Neumann-Goretti, Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia High School for Girls, South Philadelphia High School and West Philadelphia High School.

Among the actors bringing the works to life are alumni of the Young Playwrights program, including up- and-coming writer/director/actress Pascale Smith (performing in Pretention Detention, The Old Us), Philadelphia Young Playwrights Youth Council Member Joshua Lynch (Am I A Man or a Coward, Letters of War, Orange Paper) and Philadelphia Young Playwrights’ Programs Assistant Anjoli Santiago (Addiction, Guilt, Wake Up and Smell the Glitter). Content and language is mature and appropriate for high school audiences.

Monologues Summaries
Each monologue summary is written by the student playwright. Content subject to change. Content and language is mature and appropriate for high school audiences.

Addiction by Charmira Nelson, Constitution High School, Grade 11
A cigarette speaks sensually and provocatively about the nature of addiction.

Am I A Man or a Coward by Brandon Mangum, Science Leadership Academy, Grade 10
After fleeing a confrontation with a group of attackers, a boy questions his bravery.

Cool, Dad! by Thien To, Southern Philadelphia High School, Grade 12
A young Vietnamese girl struggles with her strained relationship with her father.

Do Not Pass Go by Autumn Wynde, Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, Grade 10
A Monopoly piece that that has been neglected by its owner pleads for attention and affection.

Do You Remember the Time by Chad Andrews, Constitution High School, Grade 9
A charming, smooth young brotha’ goes to great lengths to get the girl of his dreams.

Guilt by Anh To, Academy at Palumbo, Grade 11
A woman who is haunted by guilt, recalls an incident that took the life of a neighbor.

Hello Mommy by Charles Matthews, West Philadelphia High School, Grade 9
An unborn child questions his mother and reflects on his place in her life.

It’s More Than Color by Einas Hassan, Central High School, Grade 11
A young African American man confronts the social stigma of not being “black enough.”

Letters of War by Sherod Jones II, Academy at Palumbo, Grade 11
After seeing a glamorized version of war in his favorite videogame, a young man must face the grim reality of war.

Muddled by Annie Lin, Central High School, Grade 11
A girl dealing with low self-esteem questions whether she will ever find the love of her life.

My Regret by Eshawn Andrews, Murrell Dobbins C.T.E, Grade 9
A child struggles with the memory of an accident that took the life of his friend.

Orange Paper by Brandon Hall, Science Leadership Academy, Grade 10
A high school student is forced to take on the financial burdens of his family, and finds himself at the limit of his patience.

Pretention Detention by Erin Orth, J.R. Masterman School, Grade 12
Fed up with the elitist attitudes of her classmates in English class, a student takes a stand (quite literally).

Smh… by Eunice Kelome, Philadelphia High School for Girls, Grade 10
A desperate student comes up with a risky (and hilarious) plan to get out of taking a test.

The Old Us by Alexis McDaniels-Brooks, Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, Grade 11
A girl blossoming into a young woman pleads for the affection she once felt from her parents.

Wake Up and Smell the Glitter by Zoe Moore, Lower Merion High School, Grade 10
A young woman realizes that the image she has created for herself is artificial and demeaning.

Working Class Hero by Louis Franchetti, Neumann-Goretti High School, Grade 12
While cleaning the Principal’s office, a janitor discovers his true feelings about his work and struggles to come to terms with his place in the status quo.

The staff that have made the 2012 Young Voices High School Monologue Festival possible include:
Amy Hodgdon, Director of Education and Programs, Philadelphia Young Playwrights (Co-Producer);
Dwight Wilkins, Education Director at InterAct Theatre Company (Co-Producer);
David O’Connor, Resident Director, Philadelphia Young Playwrights (Production Director);
Mindy A. Early, Assoc. Director of Education and Programs, Philadelphia Young Playwrights (Director);
Jasmine Kojouri, Temple University Theare Student (Director);
Janine Merolla, Teaching Artist Apprentice, Philadelphia Young Playwrights (Director);
Kate McGrath, Teaching Artist, Philadelphia Young Playwrights (Dramaturg);
Nathan Wainstein, Teaching Artist Apprentice, Philadelphia Young Playwrights (Dramaturg);
Seth Rozin, Artistic Director, InterAct Theatre Company (Lighting Designer);
Alyssa Cole (Set Designer);
Patrick Lamborn (Sound Designer); and
Stephanie Rolland (Stage Manager).

The 2012 Young Voices High School Monologue Festival is sponsored by Citizens Bank. Citizens Bank CEO Dan Fitzpatrick will address students attending the March 28 performance at 1:00 p.m.

About InterAct Theatre Company
InterAct is a theatre for today’s world, producing new and contemporary plays that explore the social, political, and cultural issues of our time. Founded in 1988, InterAct’s aim is to educate, as well as entertain its audiences, by producing world-class, thought-provoking productions, and by using theatre as a tool to foster positive social change in the school, the workplace and the community. Through its artistic and educational programs, InterAct seeks to make a significant contribution to the cultural life of Philadelphia and to the American theatre. For more information about the company, visit www.interacttheatre.org.