Think Tank Theater, TYA – Year of 13 Moons

Ann Marie

St. Petersburg, Fl.-  Communication is a powerful tool. The “modern’ world we live in transmits words much faster than people can process.   One more anxiety builder.  A few months ago I came across information about a theatrical organization by the name of Think Tank Theater, TYA.

(Photos) Georgia Mallory Guy-Think Tank Theater Artistic Director

It’s mission statement caught my attention. It stated; “Think Tank Theatre is Tampa Bay’s Theatre for Young Audiences and we are dedicated to producing inspirational, captivating, and forward-thinking professional theatre for families and young audiences”.  What a great medium for self expression & collaborations, I thought. Writing  professionally or as a hobby is a great stress reliever . Words are a powerful tool. I made it a goal to find out more.

On Saturday July 10, 2021 I attended Think Tanks Theater Playwrights festival at the Tampa Stageworks Theater.  During an intermission between plays I saw a girl with a Think Tank Theater shirt swish by. Her enthusiasm and energy level was enforced with passion. She looked like a good source for information.  I had to stop her and find out more.  It turned out her name is  Georgia Mallory Guy and is the Think Tank Theater, Artistic Director.

Without hesitation She gladly explained ; the Festival is a developmental program dedicated to providing a working forum for progressive and forward-thinking TYA productions for today’s theatres. The goal is a collaborative workshop, giving our audiences larger exposure to new works, as well as offering playwrights an opportunity to get feedback during the development process. This year’s finalists were selected from more than 300 plays submitted from across the county.  The intermission was about to end and it was time for Georgia to get ready to introduce the next play “Year of 13 moons”.

I was intrigued by the title of the play “Year of the 13 moons” and even more intrigued by the playwriter Germaine Shames.  She has a timid, soft spoken demeanor with a huge presence all at once.

Year of the 13 moons is about an Amateur astronomer  Sam Baron. She turns 13 on a year of 13 moons.  As each successive moon waxes and waves, she confronts a new revelation and learns that life on planet earth may be every bit as awesome and mysterious as a night in outer space. A cosmic coming of age story about secrets, forgiveness, and the power of even the most mismatched family to re-invent itself.

The play touches upon some deep rooted issues, causes and consequences.  It is very apparent why Germaine Shames play was featured. Her profound writing portrayed in such a simplistic manner is the mark of a great playwriter. The cast a combination of experienced professional actors paired with very talented younger actors. As a whole, including the  Director Jessy Julianna   the story was well delivered.                          

Year of 13 Moons Cast

CAST

Kaylee Tupper Miller –
Jaime Giangrande-Holcom
Lillian Almodavar
Blake Smallen
Brittany Bramwell

To find out more about Think Tank Theater https://www.thinktanktya.org/   email: info@ThinkTankTYA.org Tel:(813)508-0884

Germaine Shames

About the Playwriter:

Germaine Shames, a Kilroys List playwright and recipient of her state’s Literary Fellowship in Fiction, is author of the award-winning novels, Between Two Deserts and You, Fascinating You.
Writing under the pen name Casper Silk (Hotel Noir, Echo Year), she has been compared to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Graham Greene and P.D. James “on steroids”

Shames holds a Master’s degree in Intercultural Studies. Her writing reflects the breadth of her worldview and fascination with the interplay of cultures, often drawing on events and settings from her sojourns abroad. Her work has earned her residencies at the Fundacion Valparaiso, Wild acres Retreat, New York Mills and Yellow Bird Artscape, three professional development grants from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, an Editor’s Choice Award from the Historical Novel Society, and a scholarship to the Writers Center at the University of Arizona.  Still growing, still striving, Shames believes in happy endings. It’s all about love.
Website: http://germainewrites.wixsite.com/buzz
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/germainewrites

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