The 'Lit' Theatre Project
Underwritten by Kids' Dreams
Sponsored in part by the Virginia & Harvey Kimmel Family Fund
Essay Competition Centered on The Mountaintop by Katori Hall
Kids' Dreams proudly underwrites a special performance of The Mountaintop by Katori Hall for students from multiple Palm Beach County Title 1 high schools.
Fall 2025 Timeline
- September – October: Students read The Mountaintop by Katori Hall (provided)
- September 18 – October 1: PBD visits participating classrooms to discuss and analyze the play with students. A prompt for an essay contest is announced.
- October 17: Essays due to Palm Dramaworks by 5:00pm
- November 4 at 10:00am: performance and talkback of The Mountaintop at PBD. Essay contest winners announced from the stage.
Project Details
- Students must be in grades 9 – 12.
- All district Title 1 high school students are eligible.
- There is no cost to schools or students.
- Coach transportation and theatre tickets are provided.
- All essays are adjudicated blindly.
- Students win cash prizes from $50 to $300
- Teachers with winning students receive a $200 prize for their classroom.
Curricula Connections and Standards:
The Mountaintop focuses on responsible decision-making, resiliency, gratitude, confronting mortality, and the importance of individual accountability.
By participating in the ‘Lit’ Theatre Project, the following ELA B.E.S.T. standards are addressed:
- ELA.9-12.C.1.3: Write literary analyses to support claims, using logical reasoning, credible evidence from sources, and elaboration, demonstrating an understanding of literary elements.
- ELA.9-12.R.1.2: Analyze and compare universal themes and their development throughout a literary text. Benchmark Clarifications: Clarification 1: A universal theme is an idea that applies to anyone, anywhere, regardless of cultural differences. Examples include but are not limited to an individual’s or a community’s confrontation with nature; an individual’s struggle toward understanding, awareness, and/or spiritual enlightenment; the tension between the ideal and the real; the conflict between human beings and advancements in technology/science; the impact of the past on the present; the inevitability of fate; the struggle for equality; and the loss of innocence.
- ELA.9-12.C.3.1: Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling appropriate to grade level.
Florida Theatre Standard
- TH.912.C.1.6: Respond to theatrical works by identifying and interpreting influences of historical, social, or cultural contexts.
The 2024-2025 winners were:
- Raziah Ruiz - winning essay
Palm Beach Lakes High School - Akeelah Murray
Palm Beach Lakes High School - Adelia Santana
Palm Beach Lakes High School - Danari Aldeus
Everglades Preparatory Academy - Lincks Cius
Palm Beach Lakes High School
An additional $200 was presented to each of the following teachers for their classrooms:
- Rebecca Donovan-Bain: Palm Beach Lakes High School
- Jeffery Colavecchio: Everglades Preparatory Academy
For questions or more information, please contact
