The 'Lit' Theatre Project
“Thank you from all my students who are still talking about the play, actors, and the trip as a whole!”
— Lt. Col. Sonia Soto
Pahokee Middle Senior High School
Underwritten by Kids' Dreams
Sponsored in part by the Virginia & Harvey Kimmel Family Fund
Essay Competition Centered on Alba by Alejandro Rodriguez
Congratulations to the 2026 winners of the ‘Lit’ Theatre Contest! Shown with their teachers and the cast of Alba.
The 2026 winners were:
- $300: Otavianna Smith – Pahokee High School
- $200: Raziah Ruiz – Palm Beach Lakes High School
- $200: John Sauceda – Pahokee High School
- $100: Christbarbara Alcin – Glades Central High School
- $100: Sephora Desrosiers – Palm Beach Lakes High School
- $50: Zamy Espinoza Jimenez – Everglades Preparatory Academy
- $50: Ricky Laurent – Glades Central High School
- $50: Adamaris Medina – Pahokee High School
An additional $200 was presented to each of the following teachers for their classrooms:
- Rebecca Donovan-Bain – Palm Beach Lakes High School
- Jessica Mata – Everglades Preparatory Academy
- Sonia Soto – Pahokee High School
- Lynn Taylor and Rose Goldman – Glades Central High School
Read the top three essays here:
- Otavianna Smith – Winning Essay (PDF)
- Raziah Ruiz – Runner-Up Essay (PDF)
- John Sauceda – Runner-Up Essay (PDF)
Kids' Dreams proudly underwrites a special performance of Alba by Alejandro Rodriguez for students from multiple Palm Beach County Title 1 high schools.
Fall 2026 Timeline
- September – October: Students read Alba by Alejandro Rodriguez (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
- October 20 at 10:00am: performance and talkback of Alba 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 for the October 20 performance are provided
- All essays are adjudicated blindly.
- All essays will be examined through an AI detection website. All AI essays will be disqualified.
- Students win cash prizes from $50 to $300
- Teachers with winning students receive a $200 prize for their classroom.
Curricula Connections and Standards:
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.
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