“ Meet Me in the Middle ” cast .
Lowry ’ s venture into playwriting resulted from an assignment in Kasara Glesk ’ s Creative Writing class at Greensburg Salem . “ The assignment was to write a one-act play ,” explains Lowry . “ Students were able to choose their own topic , and I decided to write about bullying because the problem is so widespread throughout the country .”
In working together with her fellow senior classmate Cassie Mica , 17 , Lowry came up with the concept of dramatizing the mental state of a young girl who had gone through years of bullying and had committed suicide . The play explores her inner world as she is lying in the hospital in a coma . This one-act version of the play was subsequently staged in a classroom performance at Greensburg Salem High School by Sue Glowa ’ s Dramatic Arts class .
“ The issue of bullying is important to me because it has impacted me , my sister and many friends ,” says Lowry . “ Bullying is a major issue in our society and suicide is the second leading cause of death among teenagers and young people .” The inspiration for Lowry ’ s play came from the desire to show the devastating results of bullying on a young person ’ s inner thoughts and self-worth , and to give bullying victims a voice . The play is titled “ Meet Me in the Middle .” Following the performance of the one-act version of the play , Lowry thought it would be a tremendous learning experience to turn the drama into a full-length production . She expanded the play , creating a theatrical project from original concept to rehearsal and public performance .
In order to expand the play , scenes were added that had been compressed to meet the one-act requirements of her Creative Writing class . Lowry also strengthened the characters and their interaction , expanded the character development and added more characters — leaving the majority of the plot the same . Since “ Meet Me in the Middle ” is based on the leading character ’ s battle with her inner demons , Lowry personified those demons by creating a central character that served as an antagonist in order to clarify the struggles faced . While the one-act version was created with a reader as the audience , the full-length script was written for stage production and a live audience .
“ Meet Me in the Middle ” has a cast of 14 , chosen by Lowry from students at Stage Right ! based on their maturity and acting ability . The cast members attend several area schools . Those from Greensburg
Salem High School included juniors Hannah Liotta , Audrey Johnson and Jeremy Mauser .
Rehearsals were made possible during the summer , thanks to Tony and Renata Marino at Stage Right !, who donated rehearsal space on the ground floor of the David Mateer Center for the Performing Arts on Fourth Street in Greensburg . Lowry developed a rehearsal schedule at the beginning of the summer and distributed it to her cast members . Rehearsals were conducted from June through August , one to five days per week . Lowry ran each rehearsal as director , producer and author .
She was assisted in some of the rehearsals by stage manager and Point Park Musical Theater BFA sophomore Matt Fawcett . Lisa Hommel and Misty Bhatnagar also assisted her with costuming . Rebecca Scassellati created original artwork for the promotional posters and programs , Renata Marino generously offered her time to help choreograph the play ’ s fight scenes , and Lowry ’ s mother , grandmother and sister assisted with props .
“ It was an amazing experience to be in the director ’ s chair for my own original piece ,” says Lowry . “ My actors were dedicated and passionate about their performances , and directing this show has broadened my experience and training in theater .”
Aislinn Lowry and cast members share bullying experiences before the performance .
The finished play was brought to life at the Carnegie Free Library in Connellsville on Friday , Aug . 19 , with two performances , 1:00 and 7:00 p . m .
Lowry ’ s future plans include attending college for Musical Theater . Following that , she plans to pursue a career in the performing arts , specifically directing . “ By writing this play , I learned that my deep love of writing has become a deeper love for both playwriting and directing ,” says Lowry . “ I am excited about writing
Hannah Liotta and Matthew Hommel
more original works and producing more theatrical productions in the future .” n
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