ITHACA, NY: The Kitchen Theatre Company announced the winners of its 2nd Annual Teen Extreme Playwriting Contest. Four young playwrights have been selected to participate in an exciting four-day Playwriting Marathon. This “pressure-cooker” rehearsal-to-performance process will culminate in two public performances of their brand new 10-minute plays on Sunday, November 12 at 6pm and 8pm.

The Contest winners are:
Aisha Farley – a 16-year-old 11th grader at Ithaca High School
Ping-Chun Liu – a 15-year-old 11th grader at Ithaca High School
Nathan Hilgartner – a 15-year-old 9th grader at Ithaca High School
Gabe Lewenstein – a 16-year-old 11th grader at Ithaca High School

The whirlwind schedule begins on Wednesday evening, November 8th, when the playwrights meet their actors, directors and mentors. The playwrights are given the topic they will use as their inspiration for their brand new play. On Saturday November 11th at 9am, four teams of playwright/director/actors/stage manager begin an intense eight-hour rehearsal day. Props, costumes, and set pieces are gathered, created, thrown together, or just appear!

On Sunday November 12th at 9am, rehearsals continue and technical rehearsals begin. Lighting, sound – all the bells and whistles are added. There is a technical run-through of all the plays on Sunday at 3pm. And then, Sunday at 6pm is Opening Night! Another show at 8pm, and four new plays have come to life on the Kitchen Theatre Stage.

More than thirty people make up the cast and crew needed to create this event. Among this year’s participants will be Travis Jones, Katie Wallace, Alex LoPinto, Cody Austern-Aceto, Katie Lane, Kevin Hilgartner, Anne Hartfield, Tessa Friedeborn, Jessica Flood, Jodi Zhao, Anya Gibian, and Aviv Hilbig-Bokaer.

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