Harford Friends School Press Release
HFS Student Selected for Young Playwrights Festival
Street, MD-March 27, 2009 Harford Friends School 8th grader Emma Remsberg is definitely a young woman to watch. CENTERSTAGE, Baltimore's leading professional theater, will honor her play, The Reign of Chairman Mao, with a staged reading at CENTERSTAGE's 2009 Young Playwrights Festival on May 4th.
Her play was selected from more than 300 entries, and only four other plays were awarded with a staged reading by professional actors. Emma is excited about the prospect. "I am probably going to be absolutely terrified before the performance, but I get to work with a director and actors so it will probably be really cool." Emma will have the opportunity to work with a playwright mentor and director to revise and polish her play. She'll meet with designers who will help build the world where her play lives.
"The play is about the reign of Chairman Mao and the Cultural Revolution, from The Long March to when Deng Xiaoping took over," Remsberg said. Asked why she wrote the play, Remsberg said, "I wanted to write a play for Mr. Norton (social studies teacher). He is a good teacher and the play was, I guess, just a 'thank you.' Originally, I was looking for a way to show Mr. Norton how much I had learned in his class. Writing the play actually helped me understand and remember what I had learned. It had a good theme and plot for the basis of a play, the whole Mao thing. I wrote it and the rest of the class helped come up with ideas on how to present it. One day when we were ready, we just surprised him at the beginning of class by performing it for him."
Social Studies teacher Jake Norton applauds Remsberg's creativity. "I am tremendously proud of Emma. I admit that I was amused when I received a letter that resembled a ransom note that told me to be at my desk at the beginning of class one day last year. I did as I was told, and was pleasantly surprised when the students erupted into the room to announce the title of the play and begin acting with vigor. I asked afterwards who had written the play and the class said that they weren't supposed to share. I was surprised that whomever wrote the play wouldn't want to take credit for such unique, unsolicited, and impressive work. Only later did the students admit that Emma had authored the play.
I can't express how honored I am that Emma felt moved by Chinese history enough to write a script and employ the help of her peers to stage it. I am still green when it comes to teaching, but this is the sort of event that should inspire anyone and everyone to teach. With inspired students like Emma, it feels like all we do as teachers is give a tiny nudge to a runaway train. I also appreciate that her work also comes partially from the tone that Harford Friends School sets where creativity and differing forms of expression are not only welcome but sought."
The 2009 Young Playwrights Festival starts at 7PM on Monday, May 4th and will be followed by the staged reading of Emma's play along with the four others. A reception follows the performance. Reservations are required.The evening is free and open to the public. Reserve your tickets by calling the CENTERSTAGE box office at 410.332.0033.
