EDITOR’S NOTE: Renee Reeves is one of three local students chosen to write and direct for the Riverbend School of Theater Arts’ seventh annual One Act Playwriting Festival.

Renee Reeves, 17, is a home-schooled junior from Merrimack.

Question: Why did you participate in the contest?

Answer: I participated because I told a few theater friends about a story idea I had and they insisted I wrote it. Once it was written, I decided that there was no harm in submitting it.

Q: What is the name of your play?

The play is called “A Ghra,” an Irish term that means “sweetheart.”

Q: What is your play about?

A: “A Ghra” is about a young woman who decides that instead of marrying, as was traditional, she’ll move to America and live with her sister.

Q: What gave you the idea for this play?

A: Irish culture has always fascinated me. Once, when researching some obscure aspect about Irish tradition, I ran across a custom called St. Bridget’s Complaint. Supposedly, St. Bridget was frustrated with men doing most of the courting, so St. Patrick named Leap Day as the one day when it was appropriate for women to propose to men. If a man refused the proposal, he had to compensate the lady with money or clothes. I thought, “What if a creative young woman decided to use this tradition to gain money, instead of true love?”

Q: What challenges did you face in directing the play?

A: First, it’s a rather short musical, and I don’t have much experience with music directing. The main character’s younger sister, Aisling, is double-cast, which makes things a bit tricky in rehearsals sometimes.

Q: What is the most memorable moment in writing or directing the play?

A: The most memorable moment was during auditions. I had literally just finished playing Hermia in the last show of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and it was strange to find myself on the other side of the director’s table half an hour later.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: I’m in competitive forensics, performing all sorts of speeches and competing in policy debate. I also love to dance: ballet, tap and Irish step dance have kept me occupied for the past several years. Noveling is another hobby of mine. I participate in National Novel Writing Month and I’m currently in the throes of revising and editing 2010’s novel.

Q: What are your future goals?

A: Someday, I want to publish a novel, but it will take a lot of work to get to that point. I plan on starting work on a criminal justice degree next year. Eventually, I want to work in federal law enforcement or investigations. Between now and then, I have a lot of dreaming, traveling and writing planned, but I’ll happily go wherever God takes me.