MANSFIELD — The Renaissance Education Department will host its fourth annual MindSprouts Creative Writing Showcase on Thursday, May 18 at 7 pm.
The event is free and open to the public, with donations accepted at the door to support Renaissance education programs.
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:
• Evan Amstutz, 1st Grade, Reagan Elementary (Ashland): “The Black Castle vs. the Blue Castle”
• Eva Hadsell, 2nd Grade, Stingel Elementary: “Pilgrims”
• Meredith Rizzo, 2nd Grade, St. Peter’s Elementary: “Going Back”
• Angel Tan, 2nd Grade, Stingel Elementary: “War in a Dark Night”
Grades 3-5 Finalists:
• Alexandra Atkins, Neveah Boreman, and Ezra Fairchild, 5th Grade, Taft Intermediate (Ashland): “9 11 Story”
• Alana Howman, Mackie Parsons, and Ella Sanchez, 5th Grade, Taft Intermediate (Ashland): “Catching John Wilkes Booth”
• Dean Morrison, 4th Grade, Stingel Elementary: “Abe Lincoln”
• Olivia Norris, 4th Grade, Lucas Elementary: “The Time Machine”
• Brooklyn Weinandy and Zora Mills, 5th Grade, St. Peter’s Elementary: “Save a Slave”
Grades 6-8 Finalists:
• Rena Choi, Jennifer Covel, and Chloe Dean, 6th Grade, Eastern Elementary (Lexington): “Flight from the Past”
• Kole Evans, 7th Grade, Madison Middle School: “Vietnam”
• Alex Heichel, 6th Grade, Eastern Elementary (Lexington): “The Lonely Parasaur”
• Madalyn Huvler and Emma Donley, 6th Grade, Eastern Elementary (Lexington): “Holocaust”
• Samuel Kime, 7th Grade, Discovery School: “The Battle of Zvenigorod”
Grades 9-12 Finalists:
• Sierra Barber, 9th Grade, Madison High School: “Blast of Golden Dawns”
• Skylar CeBrian, 12th Grade, Homeschooled: “Dirt, Dust, Daze, Days”
• Elizabeth Wolf, 10th Grade, Galion High School: “A Harrowing Affair: A Scientifically Accurate Murder Mystery”
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 2017 theme: “Blast from the Past!”
For more information on this program or any Renaissance Education programs, contact Education Director Chelsie Thompson at chelsie@mansfieldtickets.com or 419-522-2726, ext. 251. Information is also available in the Education section of www.mansfieldtickets.com.
