Roslyn High School Senior Andrew Defrin has been selected as a winner in the New York State Theatre Education Association (NYSTEA) 2021 Student Playwriting Competition. His seven-page, five-minute play, titled “Creatures,” was chosen by a panel of readers from the field of theatre and theatre education.
Andrew developed the play with English Teacher Scott Segal in his Independent Study in the Humanities course. “He was in the process of completing a longer, substantial one-act play titled, “The Guest,” when he said he’d like to write another short play for this playwriting competition,” said English Teacher Scott Segal. The contest had very strict limitations, including the required use of selected props, dialogue, and number of characters.
All the winning plays of the 2021 competition will be performed by student performers and directed by professionals in educational theatre at the upcoming Student Playwriting Competition Showcase — to be held January 8, 2022, at the Villa Roma resort in Callicoon, New York in the Catskills.
“Andrew is an amazingly gifted young theatre artist,” said English Teacher Scott Segal. “Creative ideas just flow out of him like a volcano.”
