This week, San Diego’s Playwrights Project presents its 41st Plays by Young Writers festival, with readings of five plays written by California middle and high school students from San Diego to Yucaipa.
Since its launch in 1985, the California Young Playwrights Contest has presented live public performances of more than 200 scripts by students ages 13 to 18 from throughout the state. Over the decades, the contest has become a launchpad for many professional playwrights who had their first plays staged at the San Diego festival, including Karen Hartman, Josefina López, Annie Weisman and Lauren Yee.
Theis year’s festival will feature matinee performances for school groups on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, followed by a one-night-only show for the public on Saturday.
The staff of Playwrights Project, from left, youth programs manager and Plays by Young Writers festival director Kandace Crystal, managing director Aria Proctor, executive director Cecelia Kouma and administrative assistant Mary Sutton. (Playwrights Project)
This year’s festival is directed by Playwrights Project’s youth programs manager Kandace Crystal and produced by Playwrights Project’s managing director Aria Proctor. The contest was overseen by coordinator Marjorie Treger, advisor Rachael VanWormer and coordinator Damian Busby.
The youth playwriting event’s year-round cycle begins by soliciting scripts from students statewide. Each year more than 200 scripts are submitted. From that group, the Playwrights Project staff winnows down the number to a list of finalists and those scripts are read and judged by a group of theater professionals. Then a final decision is made on the winning scripts.
The winners are broken into two groups. The top high school students’ scripts get full productions and the middle-school winners’ scripts receive staged readings. Directing all five of this year’s plays is Jacole Kitchen, who in addition to being a stage director is also the director of arts engagement and the in-house casting director for La Jolla Playhouse.
Each of the winning scripts is also receiving the support of a professional dramaturg, which is a researcher and advisor who works with the director, playwright and designers to provide context and analysis. This year’s dramaturgs are Andy Lowe, Danielle Ward, Patrice Amon and Marjorie Treger.
Professional designers are hired to bring the productions to life. This year, that team is scenic designer Michael Wogulis, costume designer Marni Fullington, lighting designer Mashun Tucker and sound designer Gerilyn Brault.
Here are the three high-school students whose plays will receive full productions and a synopsis of their scripts:
“Company” by Enrique de Castro, 17, of San Diego. In this play, a medical student helping a friend’s elderly father learns to be present.
“Invisible” by Audrey Vecchio, 17, of Yucaipa. In this play, Milo wants to help his sister navigate high school. There’s just one problem: He’s a ghost.
“A Reckoning of Emmas” by Harper Williams, 16, of Simi Valley. In this play, 11-year-old Emma’s parents are getting divorced. Will future Emmas come to the rescue?
Here are the two middle-school winners, whose scripts will receive staged readings:
“Purple & Prejudice” by Mikaela Lee, 14, of Poway. In this play, a bold purple ladybug fights discrimination to find her place in the world.
“Family Love” by Kaylynn Tran, 13, of San Diego. In this play, Ralph connects with his workaholic father, with support from the family dog.
For this year’s public performance, all five plays will be presented in one program Saturday at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre in San Diego. The event will include receptions before and after the show and a brief conversation with the playwrights.
In addition to the teen playwriting contest, Playwrights Project — led by Executive director Cecelia Kouma — offers many other theater-related programs.
There are on-campus and camp-based writing and playwriting programs for grades 3-12. Beyond Prison Walls, in partnership with San Diego State University, presents staged readings of short plays written by incarcerated individuals. And there’s the Mosaic Program, which presents short plays written by local adult playwrights, including seniors, military veterans, foster care alumni, immigrants and people in substance abuse recovery.
Plays by Young Writers
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Joan B. Kroc Theatre at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, 6611 University Ave., San Diego
Tickets: $50
Phone: 757-384-2970
Online: playwrightsproject.org/event/