That little armored creature rolling around under your rocks is older than the dinosaurs, tastier than you'd think, and better for your soil than you knew.
Martin Luther King High School junior Carleigh Rios earned recognition from the Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival for her original one-act play, “Mermaid Story.” The honor came with a $500 scholarship and the opportunity to have her work performed professionally as a staged reading at the Palm Springs Cultural Center on June 7. (RUSD)
Martin Luther King High School junior Carleigh Rios is heading to the Palm Springs Cultural Center this summer after her original one-act play was selected as a winner in the ninth annual Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival (PSYPF).
Rios' play, "Mermaid Story," was one of four works chosen from Riverside County for the festival, which is presented in partnership with the Riverside County Office of Education. The recognition comes with a $500 scholarship and a staged reading of her work by professional actors and directors.
"I have never really shared my work with people, let alone an audience. Honestly, I am a little nervous, but also really excited," Rios told the Gazette.
"Mermaid Story" follows a 13-year-old middle schooler navigating challenges at home and school before discovering she has mermaid lineage. Drawing on Disney Channel original movie tropes, the play explores mental health and representation in media, particularly how stories about young women and LGBTQ+ characters are portrayed.
Rios had been developing the idea for about a year when theater teacher Katherine Williams shared the festival's call for submissions in March. About two weeks after submitting, Rios joined what she thought was a routine Zoom call for follow-up questions -- only to learn she had won.
"I was shocked -- it was really kind of a surreal moment," she said.
As part of the program, Rios and the other winners will work with mentor Greg Cope White, co-executive producer of the Netflix series "Boots," to refine their scripts before the public performance.
"This has 1,000% had an impact on me," Rios said. "It has given me more confidence already in what I can produce. The fact I blindly submitted something I was very passionate about, and someone saw it and saw value in it, is really crazy."
MLK Principal Dr. Leann Iacuone said she was proud to see Rios take her work beyond the school stage.
"It has been a pleasure to see Carleigh on the Martin Luther King High School stage this year and deeply involved in our theater program," Iacuone said in a statement. "I am thrilled to see her take another step in the world of theater as a playwright and bring her creativity to a wider audience."
Rios traces her love of writing back to John F. Kennedy Elementary School, and her passion for poetry to seventh grade at Amelia Earhart Middle School, where teacher Ronald Otis introduced her class to slam poetry. With senior year approaching, she plans to major in English in college, teach high school English, and publish a book.
The staged reading of "Mermaid Story" takes place June 7 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs.
More than 800 people gathered Wednesday at the Riverside Convention Center for the Riverside County Office of Education's annual luncheon and showcase.
Professional artists Gloria Ing and Graciela Rodriguez will join about 200 middle and high schoolers on Main Street on March 3 to turn the pedestrian mall into a living, collaborative dream.
