2010 Paper Fashion Show

Samantha's Food Interview of Chris

Chris' Food Interview from New Design High on Vimeo.

12th grade Mediastorm's students just completed peer food interviews. Students were asked to interview their class peers about food. In the process, students wrote their research questions, filmed their peers and then created the pieces on IMovie. You can see an example above. Students are getting prepared for longer multimedia narratives centered on telling stories about food.

Alumni: Elizabeth Cruz-Cortes writes for the 24 Hour Plays on Broadway!

On Sunday, Elizabeth Cruz-Cortes pulled an all-nighter.

She's not cramming for an exam at Long Island University, where she's a sophomore studying theater.

She's got a gig a professional dramatist would love to have: writing a short work for the star-studded "24 Hour Plays," a one-night-only, wham-bam-here's-your-presentation-ma'am.

The show runs Monday at 8 p.m. at the American Airlines Theater.

A half-dozen, 10-minute one-acts will be conceived, written, rehearsed and performed in a day at this annual Montblanc-sponsored fund-raiser for Urban Arts Partnership, which supports theater, music and more in New York's public schools.

Six playwrights, six directors and 24 actors will gather for the event. Cruz-Cortes' standout work in Urban Arts writing programs caught the eye of "24 Hour" organizers and rocketed her from student to an author alongside the celebs.

Step No. 1 is Cruz-Cortes will show up at 10 p.m. Sunday to meet her cast. Then she, like the rest of the writers, will brainstorm for ideas and work all night to meet a 7 a.m. deadline.

Then the directors and actors get busy. Christopher Meloni, America Ferrera, Claire Danes, Fisher Stevens and Rosie Perez are among the stars who could be delivering her lines.

Cruz-Cortes will be losing sleep with some of the city best dramatists, including Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage ("Ruined") and Pulitzer finalists Theresa Rebeck ("Omnium Gatherum") and Rajiv Joseph ("A Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo").

"It's crazy," says Cruz-Cortes, 20, who graduated from New Design High School on the lower East Side. "It's exciting but nerve-racking. It's all these famous writers and actors, and me, this little girl."

While she is keeping an open mind about what she'll write about, the young scribe suspects her 10-minute play on Monday will tilt toward comedy.

"I tend to like to keep things light," she says. "If I decide to go somewhere extreme, I'm counting on my cast not to be shy about it. Mostly I just want to have fun."

That's exactly the right plan, according to Rebeck, who's an old hand at this stage-athon.

"This one will be my fourth time," says Rebeck. "I always ask myself, 'How do you write a decent play at 3 in the morning?' But there's something very jazzy about it."

Advice for the new kid on the "24 Hour" block?

"Elizabeth is going to do great," says Rebeck. "Like everyone else involved, she just has to trust her instincts."


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/arts/2010/11/11/2010-11-11_student_elizabeth_cruzcortes_to_write_short_work_for_24_hour_plays_starring_clai.html#ixzz15Y6hfXwh

UAP 24 Hour Plays on Broadway: Charles Prophet Debut!

The 10th annual 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, featuring America Ferrera, Rosie Perez, Gloria Estefan, Diane Neal, Elijah Wood, Julie White, and Tony Goldwyn, was presented at the American Airlines Theater this past Monday, November 15, 2010.

New Design High School senior, Charles Prophet debuted on Broadway as the opening act performer for the 24 Hour Plays. Charles rocked the American Airline theater stage and wowed the crowd with a charismatic and poetic performance of originally written material for the show.

The process for The 24 Hour Plays began the evening of Nov. 14, when the entire team of actors, playwrights, directors and production staff gathered at the American Airlines Theatre. Each cast member offered a costume, prop and "stage desires" to their respective writers. The playwrights were then given the task of creating a ten-minute play by 7 AM this morning in order to allow the directors and cast time to rehearse the piece for the 8 PM presentation.

Montblanc sponsors The 24 Hour Plays, which benefits the Urban Arts Partnership, a not-for-profit organization that brings arts education programs into New York City public school classrooms and was a founding partner is starting New Design High School in September of 2003!

Good work Charles!