UNION, NJ — The Theater Project, an 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 is Jan. 22. Scripts should be between 10 and 20 pages in play format; they must be original works — no adaptations will be accepted. For entry forms, visit thetheaterproject.org/young-playwrights-competition.
More than 800 public and private schools throughout the state have been contacted as part of The Theater Project’s outreach program. Since the Young Playwrights Competition’s inception, students from 74 New Jersey high schools have participated.
“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,” The Theater Project’s artistic director, Mark Spina, said. “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 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 and students should reach out to competition coordinator Kevin Carver at [email protected].
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, Lina Olazabal, from the Lawrenceville School, finished first, followed by Izaiah Solano, of Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy. Brennan Columbia-Walsh, of Montclair Kimberley Academy, and Isabel Lindsay, of Communication High School of Monmouth County, tied for third. Awards, which include cash prizes and gift certificates, for the current competition will be announced Feb. 21, followed by a virtual showcase event on March 27.
Photo Courtesy of The Theater Project