GCHS Thespians Receive Scholarships at William Inge Theater Festival

Garden City High School drama students were awarded four scholarships during the William Inge Theater Festival at Independence Community College, Independence, Kansas May 9-12, 2018.  This is the second year that GCHS Drama students have competed at the Inge Festival.  The Inge Festival only issues scholarships to students who are juniors and seniors.

GCHS students that received the scholarships are: Carolyn Levi (senior), won best playwright and a scholarship of $400; AJ Ramirez (senior), won runner-up Actress and a scholarship of $125; Tam Nguyen (junior), won honorable mention actress and a scholarship of $100; Javier Cervantes (senior-did not attend but submitted a play), won honorable mention playwright and a scholarship of $100.  In addition, underclassmen are not eligible for scholarships but are evaluated and scored by a team of professional judges. Delaney DeSpain (junior); Nathan Ayala (sophomore); Giselle Martinez (sophomore); Johb Silva (sophomore); Gavin Stimatze (sophomore); and Maddie Stout (freshman).

The students spent the weekend hearing new plays read and performed by professional actors. They also took part in critical analysis of professional writing and verbal critiques from judges as well as professional workshops.

The William Inge Center for the Arts was founded in 1982 on the campus of Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas, in celebration and memory of Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award-winning playwright and native son, William Inge.  Its initial event was a modest one-day commemoration of William Inge’s life.  Now, the Inge Center’s showpiece event is the four-day internationally recognized William Inge Theatre Festival that has honored some of the world’s most prestigious playwrights.