The Camden High School theater department is proud to announce that senior Dylan Keyes has had his work selected for the Syracuse Stage Young Playwright’s Festival.
The Young Playwright’s Festival is a fun and exciting initiative that challenges high school students across Central New York to produce their best short play or other adjacent work of theatrical performance.
As a selected playwright, Keyes will see his original play brought to life on stage in a performance scheduled for April 30th at 7 PM at Syracuse Stage. The event is open to the public.
Having a work selected for this event is no small accomplishment. The process begins in February when students across the region write and develop their pieces. Camden High School theater classes have been doing that for 25 years, and just a handful have been selected to advance. For this year’s festival, 254 pieces from 13 school districts across six counties were sent in. Of that group, Keyes is one of just eight finalists.
Once pieces are submitted, a selected group of students are invited to a semifinalist workshop, where they receive professional feedback and an opportunity to make changes before a final round of judging.
That process allowed Keyes to create and refine a 10-minute play entitled
Penman Camel’s Ideas of Distorted Vision. The play presents an absurdist metaphor about life. Keyes provided the following synopsis of the play.
"Penman Camel’s philosophy of fish runs deep in the murky Arctic waters to depths that no other vulture can see,” he said. “It’s up to Penman Camel to bring his fish to reality, lest they be forever lost on vulture-kind."
Keyes’ appearance ensures Camden will be represented once again this year. In the 2023 edition, current junior Annaka Stauring had her performance chosen.