Nisga'a student lands provincial award for Best Original Script

The play, “To Grow Up”, written and performed by Miranda Baker, a Charles Hays Secondary School student, has received the B.C. National Theatre School Festival Award for Outstanding Original Script.

Students from the Prince Rupert high school travelled to New Westminster from May 2-5 to perform two plays “Fighting Demons” and Baker’s original “To Grow Up”.

Baker, who is Nisga’a, wrote the one-act play on racism and how intergenerational trauma from the residential school system affects the lives of two teenage characters.

In addition to receiving the award for her script, she also received the Youthwright Achievement, and her original play will be performed as part of an evening showcase.

“It’s amazing to me that I got this opportunity to come and showcase what I did,” Baker said in the press release.

She was also granted a $1,000 B.C. National Theatre School (NTS) Scholarship, and has since been offered a scholarship at the University of British Columbia. Originally Baker planned on taking biochemistry in university, but her success has led her to switch into the bachelor of arts program for theatre and creative writing.

“There is untapped potential in everyone. Just because you come from a rural community where there is not as many opportunities doesn’t mean that the talent isn’t there. It just has to be nurtured. So I would encourage everyone to give [their passions] a try,” Baker said.

The play, “To Grow Up” also received awards for Outstanding Lighting, Scott Langille, Outstanding Performance, Joseph Copper-Shaw, and Outstanding Sound, Sarah Landrath.

Charles Hays Secondary School’s “Fighting Demons” performance also collected a few provincial awards, including Outstanding Performance, Corbin Basso, Outstanding Lighting, Scott Langille, Outstanding Sound, Sarah Landrath, and Outstanding Costumes.

There were 12 shows over the weekend, and the awards were selected by adjudicators, Peter Jorgensen and NTS Festivals Canada Executive Director, Wayne Fairhead.

Shannon Lough | Editor

Shannon Lough