THUNDER BAY - Ezra Westerman is no stranger to the stage. The 13-year-old has acted many times before, but for the first time, she stepped off the stage to pick up a pen and paper and try out the role of playwright.
“It’s not all that different,” she said. “You have to incorporate what you want to write in a play, instead of what you want to act.”
Ezra was one of four young playwrights to complete a 10 minute play for the inaugural 10 x 4 Youth Gala on Sunday. The Youth Gala was the newest edition to the 10 x 10 Showcase that challenges writers to write a 10 minute play. Each year for the last five years, 10 plays are selected and produced.
“This time last year, we were realizing the potential for youth to express themselves,” said Marcia Arpin, the coordinator of the Youth Gala.
More than 40 young writers initially signed up for writing workshops held last September and Arpin said it takes a lot of perseverance to see it all the way through to the January deadline.
“We did get a really good crowd of the sake of curiosity of writing a play,” she said. “The only trick was follow through. We are hoping by allowing these children who are brave enough to be the first, there will be more willing to submit next year.”
“I would love to say we are legit and 10 x 10 next year,” Arpin continued. “The more the merrier.”
Four productions were staged at the Finlandia Club on Sunday, with youth participating in all aspects of production, from writing, to acting, to directing.
Arpin said teachers would be shocked by how motivated the young participants were in the various aspects of production, which she believes has to do with offering them more creative freedom.
“I think for the first time they were given the creative liberty to do as they wished, pick the topics they wished,” she said. “To watch the subject matter, to see their deep thoughts, or their little quirky senses of humour come together and actually be puny, then you start to realize that youth do have a lot to contribute.”
For 19-year-old, Ashley Luoma, who wrote The Tree of Happiness, penning a 10 minute play was no easy feat.
“It was a little difficult at first, trying to figure out how it was going to go to the stage instead of just writing,” she said. “It would either be too short or too long, so trying to condense it into 10 minutes was a challenge.”
Keeping to the 10 minute length was also a challenge for 13-year-old Rachael Brown while she was directing The Girl With No Name, written by Emily George.
“You are given the script so you are given an idea of the length, but at the same time you have to add the actions to that, sometimes that makes it longer, sometimes actors get nervous and speak quickly,” she said. “It’s been a little stressful, especially trying to find a cast that works with the show. But it’s been overall a good experience because it’s given me experience directing and it’s given me a chance to know I want to go further with directing.”
Rachael added that the 10 x 10 Youth Gala is a great way for youth to try different aspects of theatre production and test the waters.
“I really enjoy directing, but I’m not sure if I’m ready doing a full length one yet,” she said. “I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in directing, because it’s a good step forward because you don’t have to take on an entire two hours or hour and a half.”
Aprin said a lot of the youth participating were not necessarily walking up onto the stage for the first time, but for many, it may have been the first time they pulled back the curtain and stepped behind the scenes.
“I think a lot of these children have been on stage in some capacity or another,” she said. “But to bring them back stage and really understand the process of producing, let alone directing, and then writing, that’s been a whole other brain cell that has been opened up.”
The 10 x 10 Showcase was also held Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, with both performances selling out.
