From February 13 – 16, the annual playGround Festival will run in the Joseph G. Green Studio Theatre. This student-run event offers an opportunity for emerging student artists to create, develop, and design their own work. The production will feature 32 new innovative plays, as well as introduce music and spoken word. Divided into series A and B, there will be both afternoon and evening performances.
Leila Tamim, a first-year theatre major, is part of the cast of Rosemary Lies Where The Hill Meets The Sky, playing the role of bookkeeper/ensemble. Tamim says that she is excited for people to see the show because it is an incredible story that the entire cast and crew put a lot of work into.
“The most challenging part of my role personally was learning to perform with a mask — while I had learned about mask work in high school, this is the first time I have had to perform with one. It really requires you to embrace the physicality of performing, especially in such an already physically demanding role,” shares Tamim.
Maxwell Cowan, a third-year theatre major, is writing and directing this year, debuting his work, Davie and Thurlow, at playGround. “I’m most looking forward to sharing the hard work of all these wonderful actors, designers, and crew onstage. playGround is such a time for celebration and sharing of art, and it’s such a great forum to practice theatre in all facets,” says Cowan.
Cowan continues that as a writer and director, his biggest challenge has been artistic anxiety. “Every step along the way, I’ve been introducing and explaining this piece to people. The panel application, the audition/production interview processes, and now the sharing of the show onstage. The most challenging part is that now, I don’t have the control over how the show is perceived anymore — it’s up to my amazing team of actors, designers, and crew to portray.”
That being said, he explains that playGround is an incredibly rewarding experience. “I invite everyone to get involved in this great process in the future, but for now, come out and see playGround all week! It’s a great lineup of shows this year.”
Tamim echoes Cowan’s sentiments, stating, “I couldn’t be happier to make my York debut through Rosemary Lies Where The Hill Meets The Sky and playGround! Everyone has been so welcoming and patient and it has been the best experience I could hope for.”
The entire event — including the production of each piece — is fully organized by York students. To learn more about this production and to get tickets, click here.
