Thanks for joining us for YPF Gala 2021 to celebrate and honor the winning playwrights for Season 13 of Young Playwrights Festival!
You can watch right here on the page, or you can watch on YouTube. The YouTube video has time stamps in the description box so you can jump directly to a specific interview or play.
As always our winning plays are performed by volunteers and are free to our audiences. If you would like to support faith-driven theater and the NE Indiana Young Playwrights Festival, click the donate button now. Your generous gift will be doubled through June 30!
CAST LISTS:
Division 2 Winner:
“The Robbers” by Audra Estabrook
Johnathan Brumbaugh – Ron
Tyler Delagrange – John
Rachael Kuster – Cop 1
Elise Estabrook – Cop 2
Eliana Ward – Judge
Division 2 Runner Up
“Tubby & Ritzy” by Owen Macke
Eliana Ward -Tubby (a bear)
Abigail Drummond – Ritzy (a goat)
Kaiya Bendele – Whiskers
Tricia Marshall – Bunny
Elise Estabrook – Tiny Blankie
Audra Estabrook – Tiny Blankie Jr.
Rachael Kuster – Stage Manager
Lydia Scott – Director
Division 3 First Place (tie)
“A Story About Boys and Their Imaginations” by Eliana Ward
Lydia Scott – Mother
Johnathan Brumbaugh – Father
Tyler Delagrange – Bee (a wizard)
Jagar Diehm – Asa
Tricia Marshall – Stage Manager
Division 3 First Place (tie)
“Complicated Friendships” by Elise Estabrook
Abigail Drummond – Gina
Tyler Delagrange – Frank
Wyatt Bockelman -Jr.
Jagar Diehm – Will
Audra Estabrook – Lily
Tricia Marshall – Stage Manager
Division 3 Runner Up:
“Pins & Princesses” by Melanie Klaus
Lydia Scott -Director
Rachel Kuster – Mrs. Muffet
Audra Estabrook – Minnie Bo Peep
Elise Estabrook – Rosie Davis
Abigail Drummond – Luna King
Kaiya Bendele – Diana Hood
Tricia Marshall -Guard
Claire Weiss – Big Bad Wolf
Kalle Wilfong – Stage Manager
CAST BIOS
Kaiya Bendele – Kaiya is a 10 year old 4th grader. She loves acting and singing. Kaiya has danced with En Croix Ballet (Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Hip Hop, Musical Theater) since she was 3 years old portraying roles in full-length ballets. She has danced with CSDA (competitive dance) since she was 8 years old.
Wyatt Bockelman – Wyatt’s previous theatre experience includes portraying Ares in 2017 ACT UP kids production of Oh The Fates. In 2018 he played the part of the Bazooka Joe in The Land of Sweets. Lately, he’s just been playin’ on the court for the Fort Wayne Guard homeschool basketball team. He would like to thank afO for this opportunity.
Johnathan Brumbaugh – Johnathan has been involved in YPF/afO for about 5 years. His hobbies include acting, singing, firearms, and being active in politics. Currently he is a small business owner of an airsoft teching company, and field owner. His favorite color is dark blue and cats are his favorite type of animal.
Jagar Diehm – Jagar, an 11 year old 5th grader from Albion, Indiana. His previous shows are The Land of Sweets, The Wizard of Oz, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Charlie) and A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas (Johnny Steadman). He has a little sister and three dogs. He loves to collect action figures, draw and anything scary! May God bless you all.
Tyler Delagrange – Tyler, a 4th grader, enjoys running, playing basketball, jumping & flipping on the trampoline, and making people smile. Tyler loves God and being outside exploring the woods and pond. He participated in FWAHS East Drama Camps last fall The Boy Who Cried Wolf and this spring The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse in conjunction with the Academy of the Arts.
Abigail Drummond – This is the first time Abigail has been in the Young Playwrights Festival. She has been in numerous plays at The Pulse Opera House in Warren, Indiana. Her biggest portrayal is Young Anna in Frozen Jr. She also recently wrote her own 10 minute play for the Pulse 10 Minute Plays last month.
Audra Estabrook – Audra made her acting debut as Carrie in afO’s A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas last fall. She is a 9-year-old lifelong homeschooling 3rd grader. She loves to read and is a karate student. She loves to watch and quote Hamilton and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. In her free time, she likes to bake, grow sunflowers, and play sports.
Elise Estabrook – Elise, a homeschooled 7th grader, portrayed Mary in afO’s A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas and also played Mary in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. She has previously performed with Fire & Light and FWAHS Drama Camp. When she is not on stage, Elise enjoys playing basketball, baking, and making creative videos. Elise loves to prank her family on April Fool’s Day.
Rachael Kuster – Rachael is an 18 year old homeschooled senior, and is a part of a homeschool co-op called Classical Conversations. She loves theater and has been in various YPF plays for about 10 years now, along with several afO shows including A Prisoner of Joy, Wind in the Willows, Romeo and Juliet, and The Dreadful Journal of Phoebe Weems.
Tricia Marshall – As Director of Educational Programming for all for One productions, Tricia coordinates the Young Playwrights Festival, Writing Workshop and YPF Gala. She was a table reader for Berg Originals. She has performed on stage with Central Noble Theatre Company, Huntington College (now Huntington University), Albion Community Theatre, and Fort Wayne Civic Theatre and has directed plays for several local theatre organizations.
Lydia Scott – Lydia is 21 and works at Keystone in Goshen Indiana as Quality Control. Although this is her first time directing she has performed in several all for One & Young Playwrights Festivals shows over the last dozen years. She says, “I have never done anything like this before, but it has been fun and I look forward to doing more.”
Eliana Ward – Eliana is a homeschooled freshman who has been involved in the young playwrights since 2015. She also bakes and does yoyo tricks! She has acted in one play and has written six plays for afO. She is one of the award winners for this year.
Claire Weiss – Claire, a past YPF honorable mention recipient has performed on stage in actUP shows for Albion Community Theatre. She then moved on to choreography & assistant directing for several youth shows. Now a senior in high school, she is the founder and editor-in-chief of TypeWrite magazine which features student literary work.
Kalle Wilfong – Kalle is a 17 year old homeschooled junior. This is Kalle’s first show with afO/YPF, but she has been in two plays with The Academy of Arts. She dances competitively at Center Stage Dance Academy in Churubusco, Indiana.
Mark your calendars for Season 14!
Saturday October 16, 2021 Writer’s Workshop
Friday, November 19, 2021 Early Submission Deadline
Monday, December 20, 2021 Final Submission Deadline
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Auditions for YPF 2022 Shows
Friday/Saturday, May 6 & May 7 YPF GALA 2022