PRODUCTIONS
Plays By Young Writers
Plays by Young Writers is our annual festival of new plays by winners of the California Young Playwrights Contest
Annual Festival of New Plays
Plays by Young Writers, our annual festival of new plays by winners of the California Young Playwrights Contest, features professionally produced plays at a theatre in San Diego. Scripts are presented in two age groups: winners age 14 and under receive staged readings, while writers age 15-18 receive full productions of their scripts.
The festival entertains viewers of all ages and provides an intensive learning experience for the young writers as they work alongside writing mentors, experienced artists, and theatre technicians.
Production Process
Writers gain an invaluable professional experience: they are paired with dramaturgs (writing mentors) who work individually with each young playwright to further develop their script. Young writers are invited to participate in every aspect of the production process, including production meetings, auditions, table reads, and rehearsals, where they advise the professionals who are interpreting their words. Esteemed local designers and directors work with the young writers as they shape their plays into productions, exploring all elements of theatre including sets, costumes, props, lighting, and sound.
- The production runs for 1-2 weeks in the winter
- Weekday matinees cater to school groups
- Weekend performances are presented for the public
- Performances typically run for two hours, including a talkback with playwrights and members of the company.
Student matinees give hundreds of young people their first theatregoing experience, where they often meet characters grappling with conflicts much like their own, in plays praised by local critics.
For more information on field trip opportunities for your students, email Youth Programs Manager Kandace Crystal, kcrystal@playwrightsproject.org
History of Plays by Young Writers
Plays by Young Writers has been produced every year since 1985, bringing to life over 200 scripts. The Festival was originally produced at the Gaslamp Quarter Theatre. Since then, we have produced at The Old Globe Theatre, The Lyceum Theatre, Old Town Theatre, The Joan B. Kroc Theatre, and online during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Directors have included Craig Noel, Bartlett Sher, Ruff Yeager, George Yé, Delicia Turner-Sonnenberg, Andy Lowe, Derek Charles Livingston, Kandace Crystal, and Jacole Kitchen. Nationally known dramatists whose first plays were staged in the Festival include Karen Hartman, Josefina López, Annie Weisman and Lauren Yee.
