On Saturday, September 18, four young playwrights will present four new plays at The Growing Stage, The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey, in Netcong. They are the finalists in The Growing Stage’s first Playwriting Festival for Young Writers: Violet Baker, Maya Abraham, Maxine Ting, and Alethea Shirilan-Howlett.

We spoke with all four finalists this week, as well as Growing Stage Executive Director Stephen L. Fredericks, Director of Educational Programming Lori B. Lawrence, and Danny Campos, Director of the Playwrighting Festival for Young Writers. Tickets will be available at the door. To reserve tickets in advance, call (973) 347-4946.