Michael Griffith, 15, of Florence took top honors this year with Perpetual Motion, the story of a young girl in the 60s who finds herself pregnant out of wedlock. As she deals with her newfound role as mother, she and the father must make decisions about their own relationship. The play contains sensitive and insightful writing as well as an engaging story full of warmth and hope. Griffith is a freshman at Bradshaw High School and studies with Darlene Montgomery.
Second Place goes to Adam Andrianopoulos, 17, of Mobile, for A Killer in the Trailer Park. He is a junior at McGill-Toolen High School and studies with Nancy Fontenot. A Killer in the Trailer Park parodies horror films and Southern stereotypes, as Suzie finds herself in a situation her psychic failed to warn her about: a threatening call coming from inside the trailer. The play is a Southern-fried thriller filled with humor and surprising twists and turns.
The Third Place winner is Kelly Lambert of Hoover, 18, for All Four Feet: A Tail Exploring Tolerance. Lambert is a senior at Hoover High School and studies with Joshua Rutsky. All Four Feet: A Tail Exploring Tolerance follows the journey of Belle, a naive Alabama farm cat that relocates to a busy apartment building. She encounters new ideas and choices such as inter-species relationships, loyalty, and forgiveness. It is an allegory of particular relevance to high school students today and the social pressures they face.
2002 Playwright Competition Finalists are
Margaret Florence Berry, 18
Patching
Senior at Bayside Academy, Orange Beach. Teacher - Jean Burt
James Coleman, 17
The Bureau
Junior at McGill-Toolen High School, Mobile. Teacher - Nancy Fontenot
Scott Fortner, 17
Fairly Taled
Junior, Bradshaw High School, Florence. Teacher - Darlene Montgomery
Mary Kate Grip, 17
Fitting In
Junior at McGill-Toolen High School, Mobile. Teacher - Nancy Fontenot
PJ Lee, 16
An Alien in the South
Junior at McGill-Toolen High School, Mobile. Teacher - Nancy Fontenot
Kali Pyrlik, 15
Atheism in a Southern Baptist World
Freshman at BTW High School, Montgomery. Teacher - Jerry Lawrence
Gary Smith, 16
My Luck
Sophmore at Beulah High School, Valley High School. Teacher - Linda Beatty
Miles Thompson, 17
We Want Our Freedom
Junior at Montgomery Academy, Montgomery. Teacher - Matt Buchanan
Erin Weems, 17
Football: The Religion
Junior at McGill-Toolen High School, Mobile. Teacher - Nancy Fontenot
Brannon Woods, 18
Oliva
Senior Bayside Academy, Orange Beach. Teacher - Jean Burt
