Bucks County Playhouse is celebrating the 55th annual Student Theater Festival. Performances, which are open to the public, will be held April 17-20 and April 24-27.
Originally known as Dramafest for one-act plays, the Student Theater Festival has evolved into a multi-week celebration showcasing talented student performers from all over the region. Students perform on the historic stage at 70 S. Main St. in New Hope, take workshops to develop their knowledge and skills in the arts, and receive feedback from theater professionals.
Twenty-two schools from 11 counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey will participate. In Pennsylvania from Bucks County, will be the following:
– Bucks Learning Cooperative, Langhorne
– Pennsbury High School, Fairless Hills
– Neshaminy High School, Langhorne
– Solebury School, New Hope
– Main Street Theater Company, Yardley
– Harry S. Truman High School, Levittown
– Central Bucks East, Buckingham
– Central Bucks West, Doylestown
“Being involved in the theater and coming to the Playhouse is an incredible morale booster for our young actors. They work very hard and are very proud of what they can accomplish on the stage,” said Neshaminy teacher Gina Chiloan. “When their work is recognized by theater professionals during adjudications, and they receive both constructive and positive feedback from their peers, it completes their validation. It also gets them excited about starting the next production.”
For more than half a century, young artists have come to New Hope to present their school productions on the historic stage, adding their names to a long list of extraordinary theater artists who have performed at the Playhouse, including Robert Redford, Grace Kelly, Justin Guarini, Jessica Walters, John Tartaglia, Ben Fankhauser, Angela Lansbury and hundreds of others.
To celebrate this year’s festival, Bucks County Playhouse would like to hear from past participants to help grow the history of the valuable education program. The Playhouse estimates that between 40,000-50,000 students have participated in the Student Theater Festival. While some students went on to pursue careers in theater, others have become TV casting directors, development directors and lawyers, as well as a host of other careers, all enhanced by their festival experience. Former festival attendees can visit BucksCountyPlayhouse.org/STF to fill out a quick form about the year they participated, what it meant to them and the impact it had on their career path. These stories will be woven into the fabric of the Playhouse’s prolific 85-year history.
“Everywhere I go, I seem to meet someone who has performed at Bucks County Playhouse during our annual Student Theater Festival. I’ve met people in NYC, Philadelphia and once waiting to board a plane in Chicago,” said Michaela Murphy, director of education. “We love welcoming new students to the festival. By performing with their schools on our historic stage, they become a part of Playhouse history.”
Visit BucksCountyPlayhouse.org/education/student-theater-festival for more information.
