Announcing the 2009 VSA arts Playwright Discovery Award Recipient

August 24, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - VSA arts is pleased to announce For the Love of Goldfish by Ali Pavuk of Waretown, NJ, as the recipient of the 2009 Playwright Discovery Award. In Pavuk’s original one-act play, co-workers Julia and Evan attempt to hide their romantic feelings for each other, along with their respective disabilities. VSA arts will present this quirky comedy exploring love, self-esteem, and the importance of being honest at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, September 29, 2009, at 7:30 p.m.

The VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program is an annual competition that invites middle and high school students to take a closer look at the world around them, examine how disability affects their lives and the lives of others, and express their views through the art of playwriting. Pavuk, a junior at Ocean County Vocational Technical School Performing Arts Academy, studies acting and enjoys creative writing. For the Love of Goldfish is the sixteen year old’s first play.

Tickets to For the Love of Goldfish are free, but reservations are required. To attend, please e-mail Artist Services Coordinator Liza Key at EFKey@vsarts.org or call (202) 628-2800. Include the number of tickets requested, the name under which the tickets should be held at the will call table, and any accessibility requests.

About VSA arts
VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded 35 years ago by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each year 7 million people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in 54 countries around the world. VSA arts is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information about VSA arts, visit www.vsarts.org

Contact:

Laura Broom/VSA arts
(202) 628-2800, ext. 3883
ljbroom@vsarts.org