Plays by Young Writers
Sponsored by
The Sheila & Jeffrey Lipinsky Family Fund and The US Bank Foundation
Plays by Young Writers is produced by Playwrights Project.
40th Plays By Young Writers Festival
FULL PRODUCTIONS
Losing Hope
By Kaya Sparnicht
Age 17, Irvine
Clashing ideologies over AI tear sisters apart in a dystopian
future.
Ghost With the Most
By Jenna Knott
Age 17, San Diego
A tired millennial and an eccentric ghost team up to rid their home of unwanted guests.
Cheaters
By David Hernandez
Age 16, Santa Ana
Students suspected of academic dishonesty find solace in one another.
STAGED READING
The Farewell to Esc
By Aldo Ledesma
Age 13, San Diego
A lonely PC searches for purpose when its owner stops playing video games.
Ride the Wave
By Jaydon Franco
Age 10, San Diego
Three hermit crabs learn life lessons on a shell-tastic adventure.
SCHOOL MATINEEES
Wednesday, February 26 |
10 AM |
||
Thursday, February 27 |
9:30 AM |
12 PM |
|
Friday, February 28 |
10 AM |
*Is your school interested in seeing a matinee? Contact Kandace kcrystal@playwrightsproject.org for more information!
Public Performances
*Public Celebration includes a pre-show reception with the writers.
Please note that online ticket sales end twelve hours prior to the performance.
PRODUCTION TEAM
| Cecelia Kouma | Executive Producer |
| Aria Proctor | Producer |
| Kandace Crystal | Production Manager |
| Delicia Turner | Director - Full Productions |
| Laura Zee | Director - Staged Readings |
| Robert Malave | Technical Director |
| Michael Wogulis | Scenic Designer |
| Sadie Rothenberg | Costume Designer |
| Annelise Salazar | Lighting Designer |
| Harper Justus | Sound Designer |
| Andy Lowe | Dramaturg - Losing Hope |
| Thelma de Castro | Dramaturg - Ghost with the Most |
| Aurrora Arnold | Dramaturg - Cheaters |
| Emily Stamets | Dramaturg - The Farewell to Esc and Ride the Wave |
| Kristen Spittle | Box Office Manager |
Acknowledgements
Playwrights Project gratefully acknowledges major support for this program from:
Sheila and Jeffrey Lipinsky Family Fund
US Bank Foundation
Additional support provided by:
California Arts Council
City of San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture
The Prebys Foundation
Sidney E. Frank Foundation
The Samuel I. & John Henry Fox Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
The Arthur and Jeanette Pratt Memorial Fund
FINAL Judges
Many thanks to the acclaimed theatre artists below who lent their expertise to selecting the winners of this year's contest:
Derek Livingston
Past Festival Director & Artistic Director, Stages
Cecelia Kouma
Playwrights Project Executive Director
Andy Lowe
Director, Actor, Producer, Writer, Director of Production and Casting, East West Players
Eliana Pipes
Playwright & Plays by Young Writers Alumna
Christian St. Croix
Playwright, Creative Director of BOY+MONSTER
Annie Weisman
Playwright & Plays by Young Writers Alumna
LETTER WRITERS & VOLUNTEER SCRIPT READERS
Rhianna Basore |
Letter Writer |
Susan Benninghoff |
Letter Writer |
Kira Blaskovich |
Letter Writer |
Chris Boyd |
Letter Writer |
Pamela Brittain |
Letter Writer |
Nicole Hernandez |
Letter Writer |
Anthony Methvin |
Letter Writer |
Vincent Ripol |
Letter Writer |
Rachael VanWormer |
Letter Writer |
Hailey Andrews |
Script Reader |
Lisa Balderston |
Script Reader |
Linda Canada |
Script Reader |
Kandace Crystal |
Script Reader |
Elizbetha Davis |
Script Reader |
Ebony Erickson |
Script Reader |
Courtney Flanagan |
Script Reader |
Susan Gembrowski |
Script Reader |
Sarah Gibbon |
Script Reader |
Atalaya Gonzalez |
Script Reader |
Nina Hall |
Script Reader |
Elaine Hiel |
Script Reader |
Leslie Johnson Leech |
Script Reader |
Steven Lankford |
Script Reader |
Claire Michael |
Script Reader |
Terry Miller |
Script Reader |
Colette Murphy |
Script Reader |
Aria Proctor |
Script Reader |
Jean Seager |
Script Reader |
Roy Sekigahama |
Script Reader |
Joe Shea |
Script Reader |
Holly Smith Jones |
Script Reader |
Marion Snell |
Script Reader |
Connie Terwilliger |
Script Reader |
Nancy Tucker |
Script Reader |
Diane Wade-Bloomberg |
Script Reader |
Robert Wood |
Script Reader |
Special thanks to the theatre professionals who helped rank and review the scripts in this year's contest- we couldn't have done it without you!
Semi finalists & Finalists
Semi-Finalists & Finalists will be announced at our Lights Up! event on November 2!
Click here to access a recording of the event.
Derrick Bajada |
How the Time Goes By |
Semi-Finalist |
Komora Beaver |
Fights Don't Mean a Thing,Talking Means a Lot |
Semi-Finalist |
Alessio Capelli |
Greed and Loyalty: A Blacksmith’s Tale |
Semi-Finalist |
Arthur Fang |
Antarctic Chronicles |
Semi-Finalist |
Ian Kim |
Bakery of Love |
Semi-Finalist |
Jeremiah Kurle-Marcotte |
Swords for Hire: A Swashbuckling Adventure |
Semi-Finalist |
An Lam |
The Betrayal |
Semi-Finalist |
Aryanna Lara |
Lonely Afterlife |
Semi-Finalist |
Syd Laurienti |
Sins of the Father |
Semi-Finalist |
Katherine Liu |
Sick In The Head |
Semi-Finalist |
Valerie Lopez |
The Adult Soda |
Semi-Finalist |
Gianni Ly |
The Ballad of One Bonnie Parker |
Semi-Finalist |
Cassie Mayberry |
It's Only a Paper Moon |
Semi-Finalist |
Raunav Mendiratta |
Greed and Loyalty: A Blacksmith’s Tale |
Semi-Finalist |
Chloe O’Shea |
Wrong Number |
Semi-Finalist |
Madeline Yang |
Who Is That Girl I See |
Semi-Finalist |
Dakota "Quinn" Young |
Hidden Pride |
Semi-Finalist |
Darien Fernandez |
What Should I Do? |
Finalist |
Noa Gutkin |
An Examination of a Heart on the Brink of Igniting |
Finalist |
Charlotte Hays |
How She Dances Through Resistance |
Finalist |
Jack Hochschild |
Clovis |
Finalist |
Declan Kallberg |
The Devil You Know |
Finalist |
Olivia Lai |
Squeaky Clean: A Soap Opera |
Finalist |
Franco Omar Lopez-Lopez |
Squeaky Clean: A Soap Opera |
Finalist |
Alexia Perez |
Perfect Daughter |
Finalist |
Blu Rhoden |
Peer to Peer |
Finalist |
Mason Robinson |
The Secret |
Finalist |
Asher Romero Moeckli |
The Glorious Life of Arleen Baker |
Finalist |
Knox Simard |
The Amazing Adventures of Fred the Dog |
Finalist |
Lucas Stanley |
Familial Ties |
Finalist |
Donovan Walter |
Clovis |
Finalist |
Thank you for attending
Lights Up!
Playwrights Take the Stage
Be the first to find out which student playwrights will have their scripts produced in the 40th Plays by Young Writers Festival in February and March 2025.
This informal in-person reception took place at the Salvation Army Kroc Center and featured a brief conversation with the playwrights. We also celebrated the finalists and semi-finalists of the California Young Playwrights Contest and gave an exclusive sneak peak into the winning scripts!
Tickets were free; reservations were required. Online reservations closed 12 hours prior the event.
Click here to access a recording of the event.
39th Plays by Young Writers (past)
performed at the Salvation Army's Joan B. Kroc Theatre
Click here to see photos from the Night of Celebration!
Check out this article! by KPBS reporter M. G. Perez
"Teen Playwrights premiere original works, taking them from the page to the stage"
Want to see your play performed in next years Plays by Young Writers Festival?
Submit an original script to the California Young Playwrights Contest for a chance to win a professional production!
Click here for more information
