Bonderman Symposium

Playwright Claudia Haas, author of today’s release of “Casting Juliet,” recently participated in the Bonderman Symposium. She calls the experience “an extraordinary time in this middle-aged writer's life.” She was flown to Indianapolis and “graciously given a cast of wonderful actors, a dramaturg, a director and an intern (graduate student who did everything) and then the biggest gift of all - time - time to do nothing but develop my play, By Candlelight. A bonus: I was handed an astute class of high school students (my target audiences) and was able to listen to how the play worked for them. To have been a semi-finalist in the 2005 symposium was a dream. To be a finalist in 2007 was the dream come true. I left having experienced a lot of growing pains, with a script in my hand that is at least in early adolescence but contains hints of the adult-to-be. Professionally, I think life does not get any better than that.” The Bonderman Symposium is the brainchild of Dr. Dorothy Webb who years ago wondered why there were no development opportunities for plays for young audiences. And then she stopped wondering and created them. It is under the auspices of the Indiana Repertory Theatre.