(UNION, NJ) -- The Theater Project, a leading incubator for rising talent and a showcase for New Jersey artists, is reaching out to high school students throughout the state for entries in the prestigious Young Playwrights Competition. The submission deadline for the 21st Young Playwrights Competition—one of the Northeast’s longest running creative competitions for high school-aged students—is January 23, 2023. Scripts, between 10-20 pages in play format must be original works, with no adaptations accepted.
For entry forms, click here.
More than 800 public and private schools throughout the state have been contacted as part of The Theater Project’s outreach program. Since its inception, students from 74 New Jersey high schools have participated in the Young Playwrights Competition.
“Every year one of our winners tells us that they would never have tried to do this if they hadn't heard about the competition,” said The Theater Project’s artistic director Mark Spina “By providing this forum, we hope to inspire more young people to write, and exercise and develop the verbal abilities, critical thinking skills and creativity that they need to succeed in any field.”
Several past winners of the Playwrights Competition have gone on to pursue degrees in theater and playwriting, and they often return to The Theater Project’s event to present prizes and share their journeys with the newest honorees. Prior to the deadline, members of The Theater Project’s Adult Playwrights Workshop make themselves available for a limited number of virtual classroom visits to help students get started on their short plays – interested teachers should reach out to coordinator [email protected].
After the judging is completed, the adult playwrights also offer half-hour script consultations to any interested contest entrant.
The top four finishers receive the Joseph Curka Award for Young Playwrights, one of New Jersey’s top prizes for high school playwrights. In 2021, Lisa Olazabol, from The Lawrenceville School finished first, followed by Izaiah Solano (Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy). Brennan Columbia-Walsh (Madison High School) and Isabel Lindsay (Communication High School of Monmouth County) tied for third.
Awards, which include cash prizes and gift certificates, will be announced on February 21, followed by a virtual showcase event on March 27.
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