RPA junior earns international playwright honors

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Redmond Proficiency Academy junior Aubrey Luse was recently awarded a Superior rating for her play, “The Plant Crusade,” from the Educational Theatre Association, an international organization dedicated to providing high school students access to theatre education. 

“The Plant Crusade” is about an awkward, poetry-loving student named Ophelia, who has recently realized that she's gay. What follows is a story about what it's like to be LGBTQ+ in a less-than-accepting time period, dealing with high school, and the long road to being accepted (as well as accepting herself).

“I absolutely cannot believe this show made it this far,” Luse said. “I'm so grateful to everyone who helped make it happen, and if this script helps even one person realize it's okay to be who they are, then it will have been more than worth it.”

Luse’s play is one of just three across the country earning a Superior rating in the Thespy Playwriting category. The top three plays will be workshopped and presented as a staged reading during the Virtual International Thespian Festival on Friday, June 25. 

Each student playwright will meet virtually with an experienced director and professional playwright and receive feedback and advice to help polish their script.

While Luse said she doesn’t have plans to pursue professional playwriting, she will continue to use her voice to talk about subjects important to her.

“There's nothing I love more than telling stories, and nothing will stop me from continuing to put them out into the world (regardless of what format they happen to take),” she said.

About Redmond Proficiency Academy
Redmond Proficiency Academy (RPA) is a tuition-free public charter school located in Redmond, Oregon. Now in its 12th year, RPA serves over 900 students from grades 6th-12th throughout Central Oregon. With an innovative and personalized proficiency-based collegiate model, RPA provides dynamic pathways to success for all students.