Thumbelina
by Cory Gaff

I’m Cory Gaff, an incoming senior at Normal Community West High School in Normal, Illinois. I’ve loved storytelling for as long as I can remember, from creating elaborate stories with my toys as a kid to writing through Dungeons & Dragons campaigns and school creative writing clubs. Throughout school, many teachers encouraged my creativity and pushed me to grow as a writer, especially during high school when I began exploring playwriting. I learned about Newdleworks at Theater Fest and signed up almost immediately because I had always wanted to write a play. My piece was originally inspired by Thumbelina, but it evolved into a story about learning to exist in a world that isn’t built for you without changing who you are. I wanted the characters to embrace their differences rather than “fix” them, and I tried to portray bullying in a more realistic and nuanced way. Writing this play taught me a great deal about dialogue, pacing, and time management, but more importantly, it reignited my passion for creative writing. Outside of writing, I’m heavily involved in theater, visual art, and Dungeons & Dragons, which combines many of my creative interests into one hobby. In the future, I hope to attend art school to study illustration and pursue character or concept design while continuing to explore creative writing, theater, and voice acting.