Despite having classes cut short due to COVID19, three student who took part in the first Young Playwrights program offered through the TNB Theatre School will have their work featured in this year’s NotaBle Acts Theatre Festival.

Alex Dawson, Madeline Savoie and Muriel Falkenstein are all featured playwrights in this year’s NotaBle Acts Theatre Festival.

(Fredericton, NB) Three plays written as part of TNB Theatre School’s inaugural Young Playwrights program led by theatre artist and playwright Anthony Bryan will make their debut as part of the 2020 NotaBle Acts Theatre Festival.

Two plays, Out of Water by Madeline Savoie and Samantics by Alex Dawson, were selected from submissions to this year’s High School Playwriting Contest organized by NotaBle Acts earlier this year.

“I had a great experience in the Young Playwrights program,” said Dawson. “I looked forward to class every week. Anthony created a great learning environment. I learned how to construct a play, worked on writing techniques, exchanged ideas with other young playwrights, and had a chance to workshop my play.”

“I am so excited to see my play featured in NotaBle Acts this year,” she said. “When my school shut down I felt very lost and writing this play gave me purpose and direction. Having it included in the festival is wonderful and feels very fulfilling.”

Savoie credits the program for helping shape her skills and her confidence as a writer.

“The Young Playwrights program has given me the necessary skills and confidence to write and finish my first ever script, and subsequently submit it to the Festival,” she said. “I can definitely say that it would have remained an idea in my head, had it not been for the encouragement and feedback I received through this program. I’m so honoured to be able to share this story through NotaBle. It’s been both a challenge and a great relief to put it on paper, and I can’t wait to hear it read out loud.”

Muriel Falkenstein’s play Camp was selected to be included in this year’s Taking It To The Streets series of outdoor performances. Camp is a play about two former friends forced to work together at a day camp.

“The Young Playwrights course at the TNB Theatre School was an excellent addition to this year’s programming. I was able to write, workshop, and develop a play, and get the fulfillment of hearing it read by others. It feels incredible to have been chosen for NotaBle Acts, because the project I’ve worked on all year now gets to see the light of day and be enjoyed by others,” said Falkenstein.

“Without Young Playwrights, I never would’ve had the confidence to enter a play in the festival, and I highly recommend the program to any youth that enjoy writing and are looking for a project.”

This year’s Taking It To The Streets performances are the only outdoor shows included in this year’s festival lineup and will see performances downtown in Barracks Square July 23, 25, 29 and 31 at 7:30 p.m.

Dawson’s Samantics will be read as part of a three play evening of readings on July 28, and Savoie’s Out of Water will be part of a two play reading happening July 30. Both performances will take place at the Open Space Theatre to a limited audience and will also be available via live stream.

More details are available at nbacts.com