Theater group seeks works from all ages
Winning writers will have their works performed live

By Jamie Henline
Monday, February 6, 2006

There are no boards to tread at the Gulfshore Playhouse — there's not even a building — but that is not stopping Kristen Coury from launching an education program she hopes will become the cornerstone of the regional theater.

The kickoff to the education initiative is Florida Stories 2, a writing competition open to all ages in Southwest Florida.

Ten winners will be selected from the entries, which can be a monologue, poem or theatrical scene about a Florida experience. The works will be performed live at the Norris Community Center in Naples on April 25, said Kristen Coury, producing artistic director for Gulfshore Playhouse.

The deadline for entries is March 15.

This is the second year for the Florida Stories contest, she said. About 50 people entered last year.

"The only restriction, really, is that it's a Florida story. Everybody's got a Florida story," she said.

Chrissie Paddock, a writer in her 60s, was one of last year's winners. She adapted a story from her book, "Profundities and Perversities," called "My Guests are Coming," for the contest.

The rhyming story is about a wacky woman who has grandiose plans to prepare for a visit from her friends, Paddock said. The woman explains all of her intentions, including ironing sheets and sewing a bedspread in less than 30 seconds, to a stuffed cat, Paddock said.

"The whole thing is totally ludicrous. The reader gets it very clearly rather quickly that this poor soul is something of an idiot," she said, chuckling.

The actress performing the monologue wore a bathrobe and shower cap and periodically swigged from a bottle during the performance, Paddock said.

"When you're sitting in an audience, there's a little bit of trepidation and amusement about if it would come off. (The actress) did a masterful job," she said. "I was delighted to see the person being me, if you will, was wearing such a goofy outfit."

Coury said she would like to see more students involved in the competition, especially since Gulfshore Playhouse representatives are preparing to ally themselves with the Lee and Collier county school systems, she said.
The idea is to supplement the existing drama programs in the schools, such as putting on plays or doing acting workshops, Coury said. The activities will be tailored to the desires of the teachers.

"I am absolutely passionate about the future of our society, and I think the future starts with children," she said. "It frustrates me so deeply to see kids zoning out in front of the TV or a computer game. It's like we're dehumanizing society when we do that."

Irene Horowitz, the newly hired education consultant for the playhouse, met with representatives of the Lee County school system last week.

"It was a very, very exciting reception. It was what I hoped would happen," she said.

The size of the program will depend on the schools and their interest, Horowitz said.

Gulfshore Playhouse is prepared to offer creative dramatic workshops, a circus workshop to teach children how to act like clowns and pantomimes, a workshop on Williams Shakespeare and a physical acting class, she said. Workshops for the teachers and staff members are also possible, she said.

"When everything is tied together, it can be as big as it can be, or kept on a very small, intimate level," she said.

Horowitz, who has received numerous awards as a theater and English instructor in the Brooklyn school district, said she thinks the arts touches all areas of the child's life, including instruction in mathematics, history and English.

"I believe when you stimulate children through something very exciting, it makes all the difference to them," she said.

If the playhouse gets off the ground, Coury said, she plans to create a Learning Institute for all ages inside the theater.

Gulfshore Playhouse's future hinges on Lee County approval of Estero on the River, an 85-acre mixed-use development on the northeast corner of U.S. 41 and Corkscrew Road. If the project wins approval, Naples-based developer The D'Jamoos Group has pledged to donate land for Gulfshore Playhouse.

A past attempt to develop the land, which used to belong to a religious cult called the Koreshans, failed amid public outcry to preserve the area.

Coury plans to start the educational programs with the Lee and Collier schools in the fall.

For more information about Florida Stories 2 or Gulfshore Playhouse, go to www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org.

© 2006 Naples Daily News and NDN Productions. Published in Naples, Florida, USA by the E.W. Scripps Co.