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Patricia Brady wins Verna Safran Prize for Best Play Theatre Odyssey Director Emeritus Preston Boyd with Patricia Rose Brady (playwright), Greg Burdick (drama teacher), and Ryan Vann (principal, Lake Gibson High School). Winner of the Verna Safran Prize for Best Play, Brady’s name has been added to the plaque which will be displayed at Lake [...]

Lakeland Student Wins Verna Safran Prize for Best Play Ali Wasmund and Yinoelle Colon in A MEMORY AWAY, by Lake Gibson High student Patricia Brady A MEMORY AWAY—Evangeline De La O, Steven Butler, Ali Wasmund, playwright Patricia Brady, Yinoelle Colon, director Nicol Moeller. The grief following a school shooting is truthfully told in Patricia Brady's [...]

Verna Safran Prize goes to The CATIDS Tami Vaughan, playwright Delaney Lockwood, director Leona Collesano, Lindsey Nickel, Evangeline De La O, Julee Breehne, and Derek Dutcher. The CATIDS by Delaney Lockwood of Venice High School is the story of a high school teacher creating a lesson plan using international figures making a difference in history. [...]

Verna Safran Prize goes to READY OR NOT Anuj Naidu and William Ashburn READY OR NOT—William Ashburn, playwright Michael Anthony Mercado, Anuj Naidu, and director James Thaggard. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE COMPLETE PLAYBILL As a lifelong creator of characters and stories, Michael Anthony Mercado embarks on a new adventure as a playwright and is [...]

Elaina Bayard wins Verna Safran Prize Festival Production Manager Preston Boyd commented that the work by students this year made the competition, judged by Dr. Valerie Barnes Lipscomb, Benny Sato Ambush, and David Covach, particularly challenging. And he noted that for the first time, Theatre Odyssey retained dramaturgy services from award-winning playwright Jason Cannon for [...]