VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A Virginia Beach student will soon get to see a play she wrote performed by professional actors in Los Angeles.
Caroline Chown, 18, was one of twelve people whose plays were selected as part of a nationwide playwriting competition called The Young Playwrights Festival.
Chown is a senior in the theatre strand of the Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School in Virginia Beach.
All 12 plays that were selected will be produced and performed at The Blank Theatre in Los Angeles sometime in late July or early August.
Chown says she was in disbelief when she got the call that her play was chosen.
"I had originally written this play for a school project that I was doing, and obviously the school production of it got cancelled due to COVID, and it was just really cool to hear that my play is going to have another chance to be produced and be on stage," said Chown.
The play she wrote is called "Dust Bunnies."
"It's a bit of an abstract concept," said Chown, "Essentially, it's the stuffed animal that sits on top of your bed and the monster that lives under your bed and they're best friends ... It's basically just a story about the things we grew up with and the things we need growing up and that kind of turning point in your life when you realize you don't necessarily need something from your childhood."
Over the next few months, she'll be talking with people from the theater via Zoom or Skype to fine-tune her play and make any necessary edits.
As for the festival itself, it's still up in the air if it will take place as scheduled due to the coronavirus, but for now she's soaking in the excitement of getting her play ready for the stage.
"I still have trouble wrapping my head around it," said Chown, "It's really cool. I'm really excited to start this process."
