Whiz Kids: Michael Bontatibus & Trey McGee

Seattle's Theatre Off Jackson has announced two Mercer Island High School students and veterans will perform in the 5th annual The Solo Performance Festival, featuring some of the best emerging talent in the Pacific Northwest.

Congratulations to Michael Bontatibus and Trey McGee for your accomplishments — Patch is proud to feature you as this week's Whiz Kids!

Mercer Island Patch Whiz Kids of the Week: 

• Name, Age: Michael Bontatibus, 17
• Class, School:  Senior,
• Accomplishment:  Michael was selected as a featured artist for the 2011 Solo Performance Festival.
• Why this is Awesome: Michael was selected to write and direct an original theatre show for the Best in Shorts night, featuring short pieces under 10 minutes in length. His show First Window was the only show selected that was written and directed by a teen. (Show description:  First Window is the story of a young man that takes on a job at a fast-food restaurant to pay the bills. Some aspects of the career, however, begin to wear on him.)

• Name, Age: Trey McGee, 18
• Class, School:  Senior,
• Accomplishment:  Trey McGee is a talented actor and has performed many lead roles during his time at Youth Theatre Northwest including, Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof , Conrad Birdie in Bye Bye Birdie and most recently as John Proctor in The Crucible. Trey will be performing in the Solo Performance Festival in First Window, a show written and directed by fellow YTN actor Michael Bontatibus.
• Why this is Awesome: Trey is the only youth to perform on the stage for this year’s Solo Performance Festival.

 First Window performs at Best In Shorts on Tuesday, April 26 at 8 p.m. at the Theatre Off Jackson, located at 409 7th Ave. South in Seattle’s International District.