Theatre Odyssey’s annual event, the Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival, is live this weekend. Held at the Jane B. Cook Theatre at the Asolo Center for the Performing Arts, plays begin February 3rd at 7:30 P.M., with remaining acts on the following day at 2 P.M.

The event introduces eight original plays written by Gulf Coast middle and high school students, with each performance allotted ten minutes. Scheduled performances are Awakening by Kassandra Kaakman (Saint Stephen’s Episcopal), Baker Act by Kaylee Hernandez (Sarasota High), Psychosis by Ryan McKeever (Sarasota High), The Quadrennial Bet by Spencer Emerson Opal-Levine (Pine View), Too Many Cooks by Luke Valadie (Saint Stephen’s Episcopal), Ugly Sweater by Erica Lomnitz (Sarasota High), We Will Not Leave You in Peace by Courtney Zoller (Manatee High) and What Happened to My Dad? by Demetrius Davis (Saint Stephen’s Episcopal).

Three judges (Dany Leary, Callie Donnelly, Es Swihart) will determine the top playwrights, awarding two scholarships offered by the Dorothy B. Templeton Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. First prize receives $1,000, while the runner-up is awarded $500. Dan Leary is a comedic actor and upcoming participant of the 2018 SaraSolo Festival. Callie Donnelly is the Performing Arts Director at Out-of-Door Academy. And Es Swihart, recently awarded Teacher of the Year in Sarasota County, is an English and acting teacher and sponsor of Riverview High School’s Drama Club.

Tickets are now available online. Adult tickets are $12 and students' are $5.