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Houston Young Playwrights Exchange (HYPE) 2010 Staged Readings

Presented by Alley Theatre at Alley Theatre -- Patricia Peckinpaugh Hubbard Stage

August 13-August 15, 2010

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For the fourteenth consecutive year, the Alley Theatre is providing young playwrights the chance to improve and expand their writing skills with its summer program, Houston Young Playwrights Exchange (HYPE). Six plays by local teens have been selected to undergo development in a professional forum guided by the Alley's staff, with the program culminating in a three-day public showcase of their work as staged readings - Friday, August 13 through Sunday, August 15 on the Hubbard stage.

One of the Alley Theatre's Education and Community Engagement Department's premier programs, HYPE has helped dozens of young playwrights develop their work since the program was started in 1996. The six HYPE participants also have the opportunity to learn from an experienced playwright, Alvaro Saar Rios, HYPE playwright in residence. A native Houstonian, Alvaro Saar Rios attended HCC Central Campus and the University of Houston and has worked with various Houston theaters, including the Alley Theatre, Express Children's Theatre, and The Ensemble Theatre. Mr. Rios and his wife, Michelle, are the co-founders of The Royal Mexican Players, a national touring performance troupe. Mr. Rios is the author of various plays, such as The Crazy Mexican Show, and One Hot Texican Summer . His work has been performed in New York City, Hawaii, Milwaukee, Chicago, and all over Texas. Recently, Mr. Rios obtained an MFA in Writing for Stage & Screen from Northwestern University where he wrote Moody, a full-length play inspired by the Moody Park Riots.

Plays featured in the Alley's Houston Young Playwrights Exchange 2010 include:

NOTE: Some plays contain mature language and mature situations.

First Date Trauma
by Nick Doolan, 18 (West University)

A young man is going on his first date, but his overly helpful mother might create more problems than she solves for the nervous kids.

Nick Doolan recently graduated from Carnegie Vanguard High School and is on his way to Sarah Lawrence College, where he will study theatre, particularly playwriting. His inspiration for the play came from the humor in everyday experiences. He wants his audience to be able to look at life and laugh at it and to learn to take things less seriously.

The Internet Party
by Loden Cullar-Ledford, 16 (Macgregor)

A new internet user gets a first-hand encounter with the strange ways of the web.

Loden Cullar-Ledford is a rising junior at Carnegie Vanguard High School. Loden was inspired to write this play because he "noticed how the websites [his friends and family] visited frequently affected how they acted in the real world." Loden hopes that his audience will "learn a thing or two about the people who reside within the confines of the internet, how they think, act and express themselves."

The Mana Flower
by Kim Blacknall, 16 (Clear Lake)

In the celestial world of the Mana goddess, a young star has come of age, and he must complete a quest on Earth to take his place in the sky.

Kim Blacknall will be a junior next year at Clear Lake High School. She wants to stay in Texas for college to study Marine Biology and writing. Her play started in the style of Japanese manga, developing into something more theatrical for HYPE. Because she is so entertained by the experience of writing, she wants her audience to share her love of plays and stories.

Put the Tiger in the Freezer
by Kolean Gudalj, 16 (Cypress)

When a young woman volunteers at a senior center, she gets more than she planned for from a rambunctious resident.

Kolean Gudalj is a rising junior at Cypress Ranch High School. Her future pursuits are in film, in the fields of writing, directing, and acting. The play was inspired by family life, especially Kolean's grandparents. It's a play that should, first and foremost, make people laugh. The audience will connect to the relationship of young and old.

Shadows in the Mist
by Christian Cortes, 13 (Greater Eastwood)

In 16th century Japan, a young Samurai's unorthodox beliefs lead to a crisis for him and his father.

Christian Cortes is going into eighth grade at Johnston Middle School and hopes to continue his study of theatre. Writing his play, he was inspired by the Japanese tradition of seppuku; this, combined with his love for Greek mythology, spawned the play. His goal in presenting this piece is to spread acceptance of different or unusual ideas.

Tide
by Barrett White, 17 (Katy)

In the fury of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, a dying mother attempts to settle both her grand estate and her quarreling family.

Barrett White is a recent graduate of Morton Ranch High School and will be attending Baylor University next year, where he will study Theatre, Business, and Pre-Law. His piece came from research on Houston history, inspired particularly by the 1900 hurricane memorial. The play is a piece of history seen through the lens of human drama.

TICKET INFORMATION
HYPE performances will be Friday, August 13, at 7:30 PM, Saturday, August 14 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, August 15, at 2:30 PM. Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased at the Alley Theatre box office, 615 Texas Avenue. For more ticket information visit www.alleytheatre.org  or call 713.220.5700.

ABOUT THE ALLEY THEATRE
The Alley Theatre is a professional resident theatre company under the direction of Artistic Director Gregory Boyd and Managing Director Dean Gladden. It is one of the few American Theatre companies that supports a company of actors, designers, artisans and craftspeople throughout the year. Productions are built and rehearsed in a 75,000 square foot state-of-the art facility, one of the largest of its kind, adjacent to its two-theatre complex in downtown Houston.