Mitchell Agostinho uses just a single word when it comes to protecting the environment.
"Reduce," said the 16-year-old student at Vancouver's Windermere secondary school. "Reduce the amount you sent out, reduce the negativity and increase what's positive."
It took Agostinho a few more words than just that to write "The High School Environmental," a play that recently won the teen the Act NOW! National Playwriting Competition.
Over the course of four months, Agostinho - an avid writer with sitcom aspirations - wrote and fine-tuned a musical production that takes classic songs like AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" and gives them a sustainable twist.
"People were telling me I had a chance, but I didn't really think I'd win," he said. "It's the first time I've entered a contest. When I won I was bouncing off the walls and I called everyone I knew."
The script landed him $200, the opportunity to direct the musical himself at Windermere and have other schools across the country perform it as well.
It's a nice bit of recognition for someone looking for a springboard to launch his long-time writing aspirations into a career.
"I like the idea of telling a story," Agostinho said of his passion. "I always have these ideas bubbling in my head."
