During the 2025-2026 school year, thousands of students worked in teams to craft original plays.
10 of those were then chosen to be produced and performed by professional actors.
WUSF's Cathy Carter spoke with two of the award-winning playwrights of "Nugget Saves the Day," Ross Taplinger and Isaac Roberts, along with their teacher, Casey Sullivan.
We are at Southside Elementary School in Sarasota. There were five folks behind "Nugget Saves the Day." We're going to talk to two of the playwrights, but first, let's talk to their teacher, Mrs. Casey Sullivan. Tell us a little bit about how the Write a Play program works in schools.
It starts with us going to Florida Studio Theatre, and we get to watch a play. This year it was "Peter Pan." And then the playwrights come to the school and teach the kids how to write a play. They show them what a good play needs and then I get them all together on the carpet, and I tell them, "think of any idea you might have for a play. It can be the craziest idea. It can be a serious idea, any kind of idea you might have for a play." So, then we're working in groups, but yeah, I just kind of go with where they take me, and they end up being so cute every year.
We're going to talk now with a couple of the playwrights. We'll start with Ross. You're in the third grade and you're 9 years old. Tell us a little bit about your play.
The name of it is "Nugget Saves the Day," and it's about a little chicken that just got born, and it doesn't know who his mom is. And then he meets some dinosaurs that are also babies. And then they become friends. And then they meet bigger dinosaurs that try to eat them. And then Nugget's friends, they hide. And Nugget is being brave, and he ends up fighting them off, and he pecks them.
So, Nugget is the chicken. How did you come up with the name nugget?
Chicken Nugget.
Oh, I see what you did there. OK, one of the other playwrights of "Nugget Saves the Day" is Isaac, also in third grade and 9 years old. So, Isaac, how did Nugget the chicken end up meeting these dinosaurs?
There was a nest. There were four big eggs, and there was one tiny egg. They all hatched, and Nugget was confused where he was, and all the dinosaurs were confused what he was, and they tried to show him how to be a dinosaur and use their abilities to defend themselves. Like, I can fly. Nugget has wings, but he can't fly. I can defend myself with my horns. Nugget has feathers. We can stomp really loud. Nugget has tiny feet. I can roar really loud. Nugget does tiny squeaks.
So, nugget learned to adapt.
Mmm hmm.
Isaac, Mrs. Sullivan, spoke to it a little bit about how, when the actors came in to teach your class about how to write a play, what are some of the things that they said was necessary to develop a good play?
We need a problem, a solution, a rising action climax and dialogue.
So, I understand, for this festival, there were schools from all over the place that submit these plays, and I think there were maybe 5,000. Ross, isn't it crazy that yours was one of the ones picked?
Yeah, it's insane.
Tell us a little bit how your family is reacting, Ross.
They are really proud of me, and they want to come see it performed in person. And I'm really proud of myself and my group. Hard work pays off.
Other writers of "Nugget Saves the Day" include classmates Wyatt Christie, Charat Chantaraviboon, and Davin Hicks.
Now in its 35th year, FST's Write a Play program guides students through every step of the playwriting process. Since its launch in 1991, the program has reached more than 1 million students
You can see the award winning kids plays on April 25 and May 2 at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota.
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