"I really like making money," says Paul McCoyer sheepishly. "I wanted to write about something that could happen in real life, something that was also kind of interesting and a little funny."

 

Paul's slapstick satire Money, Money, Money  will be performed at the New Play Festival on April 11. In the play, two friends, Jack and Renaldo, start a lemonade stand together, but are driven apart by greed and a series of hilarious circumstances. Paul based the character of Jack on himself and Renaldo on a friend of the same name. "I think Renaldo's kind of happy to be in my play," Paul explains with a smile. "He'll be a little bit famous."

 

Like his characters, Paul has had a few odd jobs to make money, including delivering Christmas trees for his school. "I pulled them on a wagon and delivered them within one block of the school," he says proudly.

 

When he is not making money, Paul is a member of his school's drama and drumming clubs. He also loves to read. "I mostly read fiction," he says. "I really like the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series because I like the action and the parts about Greek mythology. I'm interested in Greek mythology."

 

Paul was excited to have the opportunity to create a story of his own when YPT came into his fifth grade classroom at Bancroft Elementary School. "I really like YPT. I think it's because I like to write and YPT makes students write a lot."

 

Watch Paul share his thoughts on art and creativity in the video below, and be sure to see his play, Money, Money, Money on April 11!