Community Submitted Sarasota Academy of the Arts held a school-wide competition recently to prepare for their first ever community dinner theater. For the competition, students wrote and created their own stories, monologues and songs. Natalie Selem won first place with her musical “The Battle,” which depicts the real struggle of facing cancer during the pandemic. “I wanted to show real emotions of what we are living right now but don’t worry; there’s a good ending!” Natalie said. With her first-place win, Natalie’s "The Battle" will be showcased in "Broadway - Our Way." Second place was awarded to student directors Makenna Mamazza and Skylar Chojnacki with their innovative ideas and development of "Jukebox the Musical." Makenna is “looking forward to presenting her own ideas and emotions and not what someone else wants me to be.” Skyler adds, “We are expressing art to families, friends and our community because it has been a long time with the pandemic.”