Seattle Children’s Theatre’s Education Department will sponsor a local contest to select plays for submission to the national Young Playwrights for Change competition. Selected new works will receive a reading at SCT, with one play going on to compete with other finalists from across the nation for a spot at the 2014 national conference.
Middle school students are encouraged to submit an original play, whether they have experience writing and acting or not, that contains a hopeful and honest anti-bullying message. It could include the problems and consequences of bullying, possible solutions, or changes that can happen when the issues are challenged head-on. To help prepare aspiring playwrights for the competition, Seattle Children’s Theatre will provide free playwriting workshops on Sept. 28 and Nov. 2.
Only plays written by students currently in grades 6 through 8 will be accepted. The play must be original work and not an adaptation of a play, book, movie or other work that already exists. The script must be no longer than 10 minutes when read aloud and may have up to, but no more than, six characters.
One grand-prize winner will be chosen to have their play presented at the Kennedy Center in a staged reading at the 2014 New Visions/New Voices Conference. The finalist, along with a parent or guardian, will be flown out to Washington, D.C. to attend the reading.
For applications, registration to SCT’s free playwriting workshops and more information, visit www.sct.org/School/YPC or call 206-443-0807 x1186.
Photo by Chris Bennion, courtesy of Seattle Children’s Theatre.
