North Beach, MD – The Twin Beach Players Youth Troupe is presenting its 12th Annual Kid’s Playwriting Festival through August 13. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7 p.m. and the Sunday matinee starts at 3 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club of Southern MD on 9021 Dayton Avenue in North Beach. Tickets are priced at $7 each and for more information you may contact them via their web site or 410-286-1890. (Twin Beach Players is a non-profit 501 © (3) organization).
Festival Director Sherry Lehnen (returning for her third season) is generous with well-deserved praise for her 65+ student participants in her program director’s notes, commenting on the growth of the performers as they worked through the summer on the production. Festival Judges Mark Scharf, Matthew Konerth, Jan Travers, Helenmary Ball, Jose de la Mar, and Mary King chose just six winners from this year’s total of 30 entries – an extraordinarily tough job due to the wealth of talent.
This year’s winning playwrights deal with real life situations including struggles between knowing what’s right and wrong, bullying, broken and non-traditional families, death, tugs at heartstrings, and lots of comedy – just as if “it’s life” – which is, coincidentally, the title of one of the plays!
Every Bully Has a Story by Paige Plater, Directed by Cheryl Thompson with Assistant Director Paige Plater Cast: James Atwell, Taylor Baker, Kadence Brooks, Hailey Croce, Destiny Lewis, Sophia Lewis, Duncan Mansperger, Grace Minakowski, Tori Minakowski, Alex Kate Parks, Callie Patterson, Paige Plater, Aaliyah Roach, Amy Rose, and Shealyn Stone.
Miss Plater’s play recounts the story of Lily Smith (Callie Patterson) who is being bullied by Bethany Wright (Amy Rose). Scenes take place in the homes of the girls and at school with teacher Mr. Orion (James Atwell – who brings his own special nuances to making a success of this pivotal role). The chalkboard becomes quite a creative prop as it indicates residences as well as functioning as part of the regular classroom routine. Hailey Croce, as Mrs. Smith, exhibits compassion and gives a mature interpretation. Destiny Lewis makes a strong impression as the Principal who must deal with the bullying issue in her official position, Loyal BFF Kelly (Tori Minakowski) and sincere friend Ryan (Duncan Mansperger) act as credible witnesses on Lily’s behalf. Lily and Bethany ultimately come to understand that they have more in common than they initially thought and the play comes to a satisfying conclusion.
Heart and Mind by Cameron Walker, Directed by Taylor Baker, with Assistant Director Cameron Walker Cast: Sidney Baker, Mickey Cashman, Gavin Hill, Jordana Nye, Aaliyah Roach, and EJ Roach.
Heart And Mind is wonderfully inventive. A boy and girl meet for an awkward first date while the audience is able to see their hearts and minds argue for supremacy over which one will call the shots in determining how the date will progress. Gavin Hill as the boyfriend, Luke, showed excellent timing while Jordana Nye as the girlfriend, Hannah, was appropriately shy and flustered. The premise was a truly humorous concept and was deftly executed by the entire cast with comical help from Mickey Cashman as Luke’s heart, EJ Roach as his brain, Aaliyah Roach (who seemed to enjoy each role she played in the Festival) as Hannah’s brain and Sidney Baker as her heart.
Time to Cherish by Riley Ferver, Director by Mickey Cashman, with Assistant Director Riley Ferver. Cast: Hayden Baker, Sidney Baker, Seraphina Barberio, Vittorio Barberio, Cody Baxa, Mickey Cashman, and Julia Mozingo
One of the special “stars” of this play is a light-up Time Machine prop. Performers include Julia Mozingo as Kara, the young girl who passes away, Cody Baxa as her boyfriend, Adam, and Vittorio Barberio as her friend, Steven. Seraphina Barberio is a friend who brings flowers. This poignantly-acted play depicts the importance of friendships as well as the importance of treasuring each moment.
The Struggle Is Real by Sadie Storm, Directed by: Terri McKinstry with Assistant Director Angie Denny. Cast: Karari Allred, Seraphina Barberio, Ashley Beaudin, Melly Byram, Angie Denny, Bridget Gildersleeve, Rose Fisher, Jasmine Heminger, Sommer Hill, Aja Libs, Andrea Medina, Julia Mozingo, Aaliyah Roach, Audrey Stephanson, and Sadie Storm.
This is Sadie’s second season as a winning playwright with KPF, and her sixth season overall with TBP. She was most recently seen onstage as Fraulein Schweiger in The Sound of Music at Plum Point Middle School. Ashley Beaudin (a resilient leading lady in her role as Mimi/Crescentia) faces a dilemma–should she join her friends for a sleepover and the playing hooky from school with them the following day? She is visited by the somewhat spacey “angel” side of her conscience (Miss Storm as Angela) and by the vivacious Melly Byram as Desdemona, the “cooler”—or devilish—side of her conscience. Her friend Acacia (Andrea Medina) along with other girlfriends go off to the Mall and brazenly shoplift, inviting Mimi to do the same. Mimi’s two moms (Julia Mozingo, and Aaliya Roach) are disappointed to learn what she did all day instead of having gone to school to take her French test in a class taught by Mme G (Seraphina Barberio). This play illustrates many worthwhile lessons concerning individual choice and responsibility.
It’s Life by Aaron McDaniel, Directed by Travis Lehnen with Co-Director Sherry Lehnen, and Assistant Director Aaron McDaniel. Cast: James Atwell, Carsyn Baker, Hayden Baker, Sidney Baker, Cody Baxa, Elizabeth Cullens, David Evans, Gavin Hill, Fox Laurin, Keegan Libs, Aaron McDaniel, Mikey McKinstry, Tamaya Mendoza, Jordana Nye, James Reiser, Aaliyah Roach, and Ashley Vernier
Aaron McDaniel, playwright and actor (Kyle), has been with TBP since KPF7 both onstage and off. Not only is Mr. McDaniel one of the winning playwrights, he evidenced thoughtful character development combined with solid vocal quality and projection as an actor. Angels of bullies Past, Present and Future (Ashley Vernier, Elizabeth Cullens, and Sidney Baker) pay visits to send strong anti-bullying messages to a cast that included Carsyn Baker as Young Sam and Hayden Baker as grown Sam (a bully). Kudos to the Angels who experienced light cue snafus; their professionalism elicited cheers of support from the audience.
Reading Between the Lines by Sidney Baker, Directed by EJ Roach and Randy Baker, with Assistant Director Aaliya Roach. Cast: Cody Baxa, Melly Byram, Mickey Cashman, Elizabeth Cullens, Summer Dove, Gavin Hill, Sommer Hill, Travis Lehnen, Destiny Lewis, Jenna Stahl, and Ashley Vernier.
Miss Baker is a winning playwright a well as an actress (she plays three different roles in this Festival); she is a second time KPF winning playwright. This play shows the fallout resulting from negative newspaper reviews written by “King Critic” and relies on imaginative character development and the unique personalities of the actors. Once again, Mr. Cashman steals scenes – this time in his role as a Security Guard, as does Gavin Hill as Harold (the Yoga Bro). “King Critic” is Milo (Travis Lehnen) in real life and he becomes enamored of Skyler (Ashley Vernier). He begins meeting her at a little café for coffee. And then he is assigned by his boss ( Melly Byram as Ms. Zeitung) to make this café the next target. Ms. Zeitung has become proficient at “doctoring” Milo’s reviews to ensure that they are as cruel as possible; she delights in this endeavor. (Also a delight was observing Miss Bynam’s skill at handling a prop malfunction!) The entire ensemble of friends and family is adept at “owning” their characters; indeed, the waitresses kept up their bantering throughout, managing to be an integral part of the action without being distracting.
The stage crew was efficient and quickly and quietly changed sets and scenes and props as needed. Playwrights and actors alike showed great maturity in their contributions to the Festival in the quality of the writing as well as in the quality of the performances. Each winning playwright also participated as the Assistant Director for their own play and often portrayed roles in their own plays and in other Festival plays, successfully juggling wearing multiple “hats”. If you are able to attend one of the three remaining productions, you will be amazed!
Other members of the Production Crew are: Producers: Kate Harrison and Audra Vernier, Stage Manager: Travis Lehnen, and Assistant Stage Manager Riley Nikolaus, Lighting Designer/Operator, Master Electrician AME: Melissia Nikolaus, Prop Manager: Olivia Brady, Hair and Makeup Designer: Delainey Nikolaus, Sound Board Operator: Skylar Stahl, Set Construction Crew: Frank Antonio and Travis Lehnen, House Managers: Sherry Lehnen and Audra Vernier, Graphics and Art Work by Vivian Petersen, Costumes by Dawn Dennison, Logo Designer: Abby Petersen, Stage Crew: Courtney Anderson, Andrew Brinegar, DJ Byram, Summer Dove, David Evans, Aaron McDaniel, EJ Roach, and Rebecca Ulmschneider.
