Meraux Foundation Celebrates Student Play Performances

Yearlong playwriting and theater classes brought to St. Bernard Parish by the Meraux Foundation 

St. Bernard Parish students got to see their scripts brought to life on stage at the Play/Write Showcase at the Nunez Community College Auditorium on Wednesday. 

The Play/Write Showcase was the culmination of yearlong playwriting and theater classes brought to St. Bernard Parish by the Meraux Foundation through funding for the local theater and education nonprofit Goat in the Road Productions (GRP).  The event featured eight plays written by fifth-grade students from St. Bernard Parish Public Schools performed by local theatre companies. 

"We recognize the power of the arts to inspire creativity, self-expression, and critical thinking in young people,” said Rita Gue, the president of the Meraux Foundation. “We are thrilled to fund a program that teaches students to write plays, giving them a platform to explore their ideas and perspectives. Through the Play/Write program, we’re not only improving student writing skills, we’re fostering a new generation of writers who will shape the future of theater and contribute to a more vibrant cultural landscape."

“We were blown away by the talent of our students and in awe as their words were brought to life on stage,” said Shannon Flaherty, the co-artistic director of GRP. “Working with students in St. Bernard has been an amazing experience, and we’re so grateful to the Meraux Foundation for making it possible.”

The companies of adult performers were Goat in the Road, Prescription Joy, and The Coffee House Players. The participating schools were Arabi Elementary, Arlene Meraux Elementary, Chalmette Elementary, JF Gauthier Elementary, Joseph Davies Elementary, and Lacoste Elementary.

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 were chosen for the Showcase. The event creates a direct link between the classroom and the stage. All students attended the Showcase during a morning field trip where they received a formatted and professionally bound copy of their scripts. 

Goat in the Road Productions is a New Orleans based performance ensemble, dedicated to the production of original and invigorating new works of theatre, dance, performance art, and educational programming. For more information visit www.goatintheroadproductions.org.