Drama club to present original works by high school playwrights

The Canajoharie-Fort Plain Drama Club will present three original one-act plays written by Canajoharie High School high school seniors at Valley Voices IV on May 1-3 onstage at the Arkell Performing Arts Center.

Seniors Sarah Williams, Mary Collins, and Alyssa Summerfield crafted their works as a part of their Advanced Placement English class. Teacher Kathy Fatta required each student in the class to write a play as a regular assignment. Fellow classmates offered suggestions to improve on the rough drafts. After several revisions, Mrs. Fatta with help from other high school staff, selected the three plays.

“This year we had many very good works from which to choose,” said Mrs. Fatta. “It was difficult to narrow it down to just three.”

Although students were free to write on any topic, the chosen plays share a common theme—prejudice and acceptance. They are edgy and complicated, tackling issues of homosexuality, religion, and personal identity.

Drama Club advisor Sarah Ells selected a student to work with each playwright and to bring the plays to life onstage. Garrett Johnson directs Alyssa's “Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining”;  Penelope Shepherd directs Mary's “Untitled”; and Jocelyn Rowley directs Sarah's “Cailleach."