The Renaissance Education Department will host its seventh annual MindSprouts Creative Writing Showcase on Thursday, May 17 at 7 PM. The event is free and open to the public, with donations accepted at the door to support Renaissance education programs. MindSprouts is presented as a part of the Mechanics Bank Education Series.
A variety of student writing will be presented in onstage adaptations of short stories, poems, and plays that were submitted to the MindSprouts Creative Writing Contest.
Finalists include:Kindergarten—2nd Grade Finalists:
- Heer Amin, 2nd Grade, Reagan Elementary (Ashland): “The Beautiful Flower”
- Dayna Baker, 2nd Grade, Reagan Elementary (Ashland): “The Horse and the Donkey”
- Lucas Fennell, Kindergarten, Reagan Elementary (Ashland): “The Sun Race”
- John Hildenbrand, 2ndGrade, Reagan Elementary (Ashland): “Matthew, the Gorilla”
- Kearah Lee, 2ndGrade, Reagan Elementary (Ashland): “The Cheetah and the Gazelle”
- Olivia Sandwall, 1stGrade, St. Peter’s Elementary: “Brooklyn and Tiny”
- Ella Sweval, 2ndGrade, St. Peter’s Elementary: “The Fashion Designer”
- Sydney Winner, 2nd Grade, St. Peter’s Elementary: “Penny and The Magic Wishing Well”
Grades 3-5 Finalists:
- Brady Baumgard, 4thGrade, Stingel Elementary: “The Big Brain”
- Joshua Laux, 5th Grade, St. Peter’s Elementary: “The Lion and His Mane”
- Jillian Maglott, 5th Grade, Lucas Elementary: “The Wolf and the Badger”
- Addison Melton, 5th Grade, Lucas Elementary: “The Unusual Bunny”
- Alexis Swank, 4th Grade, Stingel Elementary: “The Dog That Changed Everything”
Grades 6-8 Finalists:
- David Barr, 6th Grade, Eastern Elementary (Lexington): “The Carp, the Farmer, and the Algae”
- Drayton Berry, 6th Grade, Eastern Elementary (Lexington): “The Boy with the Mighty Idea”
- Jacob Halfhill, 6th Grade, Eastern Elementary (Lexington): “The Earth and the Moon”
- Brooklyn Heintz, 6th Grade, Eastern Elementary (Lexington): “The Bear and the Dog”
- Ava Rocks, 6th Grade, Eastern Elementary (Lexington): “Sasha’s Good Choice”
All submissions were juried by a team of local educators and passed on for final judging to Renaissance Artistic Director Michael Thomas. Thomas is a prolific playwright and actor, a former member of Chicago’s famed Second City comedy troupe, and has written extensively for major motion pictures and television, including Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, and Moonrise Kingdom, among many others.
The MindSprouts program is open to any student attending kindergarten through 12th grade. Students were invited to submit one composition in one or more of the following categories: short story, play, or poem. All submissions to the MindSprouts contest were required to correspond to the 2018 theme: “Fantastic Fables!”
For more information on this program or any Renaissance Education programs, contact Education Director Chelsie Thompson at [email protected] or 419-522-2726, ext. 251. Information is also available in the Education section of www.mansfieldtickets.com.
Source, Photo: Renaissance Performing Arts Association/Jeff Sprang
