Every June, The Blank Theatre produces the 12 best plays by playwrights ages 9 to 19, chosen from a nationwide competition.

In the past 28 years, we’ve produced 345 plays by these young writers. Winning playwrights are provided careful mentoring and direction from industry professionals to help prepare their work for public performance and hone their skills, talent and confidence.

Nowhere else in the nation can young playwrights receive the prize of seeing their vision come to life on stage in a professional production featuring known actors from film, television and theatre. The plays are crafted by seasoned professional directors and each is given several public performances in a month-long Festival.

For more information: [email protected] or visit http://www.theblank.com/young-playwrights-festival/

DEADLINE: Plays or musicals must be submitted online, e-mailed or postmarked by March 15.

ELIGIBILITY: Playwrights must be 19 years old or younger on March 15, 2021; co-written plays are allowed, provided all writers meet age requirement.

CONTENT: Original plays or musicals on any subject and any length.

LIMIT: Up to three plays per playwright or playwright team.

FORMAT: All plays must have numbered script pages.

COVER SHEET: Along with play script(s), submissions must include a Cover Sheet with: Title, Playwright Name, Playwright Date of Birth (with year), Age, School Name (if applicable), E-Mail Address, Contact Phone Number, Mailing Address.

NO RETURNS: Scripts will not be returned so please do not send originals.

NOTIFICATION: We will contact Festival Competition winners in April 2021.

PERFORMANCE: Winning plays will be performed by professional actors at LA City College Theatre in June 2020.

The Young Playwrights Festival is a unique opportunity to magnify the voices of our youth, and thus not only present their interpretations of the world but channel their vision into the public consciousness.

In the past few years, the decrease in arts funding at schools has made the arts even less accessible to children, and as made a career in the arts seem next to impossible for them. YPF works to restore this gap by providing students with the opportunity to be fully immersed in an artistic production, to have their unique voices heard on a national level, and to be introduced to the professional Theatre world.

Young Playwrights Festival brings a national audience to Los Angeles and builds the future of theatre at the same time. This program is not only a sustainable event for The Blank, it is also designed to sustain the art of Theatre for future generations.