Goat in the Road & Meraux Foundation present the first Play/Write Showcase in St. Bernard Parish on Wednesday, April 19
Goat in the Road Productions (GRP) and the Meraux Foundation are excited to announce the first ever Play/Write Showcase in St. Bernard Parish on Wednesday, April 19 at 7 p.m. at the Nunez Community College Auditorium (3710 Paris Rd., Chalmette, LA). At the Showcase, eight plays written by fifth-grade students from St. Bernard Parish Public Schools will be performed by local theatre companies. The event is free and family-friendly. Reservations are encouraged at www.goatintheroadproductions.org.
The Play/Write performance groups are:
Goat in The Road -- Prescription Joy -- Coffee House Players
These companies’ adult performers will bring the students’ words from the page to the stage, celebrating the creativity of all 150 students involved in the Play/Write program this year.
Participating schools include:
Arabi Elementary -- Arlene Meraux Elementary -- Chalmette Elementary
JF Gauthier Elementary -- Joseph Davies Elementary -- Lacoste Elementary
This is GRP’s 14th year conducting the award-winning Play/Write program, however, it is the first time that the program has been brought to St. Bernard students through funding provided by the Meraux Foundation.
“We are thrilled to bring this phenomenal program to St. Bernard Parish students, improving literacy and sparking interest in writing,” said Rita Gue, the president of the Meraux Foundation. “As proud supporters of arts and education, we’re excited to see the creativity of our young people brought to life on stage. We invite the entire community to join us for what is sure to be an entertaining event.”
The Play/Write program consists of yearlong playwriting classes. Over the course of the year, each student writes eight original scripts and chooses one to expand into a full length play. Eight of these plays are chosen for the Showcase. The event creates a direct link between the classroom and the stage. All students will attend the Showcase event during a morning field trip, where they will receive a formatted and professionally bound copy of their script. The evening Showcase performance is open to the students’ families and the public.
Goat In the Road Productions is a New Orleans based performance ensemble, dedicated to the production of original and invigorating new works or theatre, dance, performance art, and educational programming. For more information visit www.goatintheroadproductions.org.
The Arlene & Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation is a family foundation on a continuous mission to improve the quality of life in St. Bernard Parish. Its roots spread throughout the community to grow the economy, nurture the arts, enrich educational opportunities, empower young people, protect and restore our environment, and create resilience. For more information, visit www.merauxfoundation.org.