SJA Playwrights Recognized
Vermont Young Playwrights recently recognized a trio of St. Johnsbury Academy playwrights for their submissions. Actors will perform plays by senior Benjamin Gwilt and junior Ethan Howell at their festival in May. Senior Jordan Barbour received an Honorable Mention.
Each of the submitted plays was read in a roundtable session, giving actors a chance to understand the characters, and the judges to make their selections.
The actors shared notes and suggestions with each of the students. “Fun, great plot twists, creative ending, really went for the British mystery” were some of the notes earned for Benjamin’s play, The Blood of Vagabond.
Ethan’s play, Wifi, was “funny” with “real dynamics and dialogue,” and was called “apt and contemporary” with a high stakes plot.
Jordan’s play, Idealistic, also received high praise. “Authentically realistic teenage love, age-appropriate dialogue, and characters, and gender – this really works!!, freezing of character and then the pay off – it was a daydream, great surprise, funny.”
The Blood of Vagabond and Wifi will be performed during the Vermont Youth Playwrights’ Virtual Festival on Tuesday, May 12. The event in May will include a Q&A session with the actors and the playwright following each performance.
Headmaster Tom Lovettt said, “I am very proud of all three of these creative writers! They are multi-talented young people who perform well I other more public ways, so it is nice to see them get recognized for this usually hidden talent. Rarely do students get to see their creative work in action, and it is a great honor for Ben and Ethan to have a professional company stage their plays. Their teachers and families should be very proud. I know I am! It’s great news to get while school is closed, a nice reminder of how wonderfully talented our students are!”
