Compass-New England Youth Theater Develop Unique Partnership

     Once again this year, Compass 9th and 10th graders were challenged to write 10 minute plays in Humanties class. This is a tremendously difficult task in itself, requiring skillful writing, a strong story to tell, an ear for dialogue, and a sensibility about voice and audience that truly stretches these students.

    Adding to the ambition this year was the potential to partner with New England Youth Theater to have some of these plays staged by experienced actors and directors before a live audience. A dozen of the plays written in the class were submitted to a committee of actors and directors at NEYT, who then chose their six favorites. The featured playwrights were Rachel Durante, Anne Chase, Connor Kloster, Lena Glickman, Jillian Murphy, and Sophie Taylor-Havens.

     The plays, which run the gamut from the farcical to the hauntingly sad, were directed and performed by New England Youth Theater faculty and students. Compass School's curriculum is built around public exhibition of student work and these students were uniquely motivated by a desire to see their plays performed. In addition to the NEYT show, the entire Compass Humanities class will display their artwork and perform their poems and plays on May 1st at the Latchis 4 Gallery in Brattleboro for Gallery Walk.