THE 34th ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL - SUBMISSIONS OPEN JANUARY 5 to March 15, 2026!
Submissions are now open for the Young Playwrights Festival, which celebrates its 34th Anniversary in Summer 2026! Please complete a separate submission form for each piece!
Every summer, The Blank Theatre produces the 12 best plays by playwrights ages 9 to 19, chosen from a nationwide competition. In the past 33 years, we’ve producedalmost 400 plays by these young writers. Winning playwrights are provided careful mentoring and direction from industry professionals to help prepare their work for public performance and hone their skills, talent and confidence.
Nowhere else in the nation can young playwrights receive the prize of seeing their vision come to life on stage in a professional production featuring known actors from film, television and theatre. The plays are crafted by seasoned professional directors and each is given several public performances in a month-long Festival.
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LIVING ROOM SERIES - NEW PROGRAM FORMAT COMING SOON!
The Blank's new play development program, the Living Room Series, is getting a makeover and will be back in fall of 2026 with a new structure and new producer helming the program! Stay tuned for more information!
The Blank Theatre's Young Playwrights Festival is a nationwide playwrighting competition for writers ages 9 to 19. Our 34th Annual YPF will be produced at the Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles where winners will have access to some of the industry's best writers for mentors, as well as top tier professional directors and actors!
The 12 best plays are chosen by a panel of theatre professional from submissions across America. No other national competition awards young playwrights with seeing their vision come to life on stage in a professional production.
Winning playwrights are provided careful mentoring and direction from industry professionals to help prepare their work for public performance and hone their skills, talent and confidence.
SUBMISSION RULES - Please read carefully!
ELIGIBILITY: Playwrights must be 19 years or younger as of March 15, 2026 and reside or attend school in the US; co-authored plays are welcome provided all authors meet these eligibility requirements
DEADLINE: Plays or musicals must be received or postmarked between January 9 and March 15, 2026
FEES: There are no submission fees!
CONTENT: We welcome original plays or musicals of any length or genre and on any subject, written completely and solely by the author(s) - no form of AI may be used to write any portion of the script in any way whatsoever
LIMIT: Up to three plays per playwright or team - please complete a separate submission form for each piece
FORMAT: All plays must have a title page and numbered pages
NOTIFICATION: We will contact competition winners in April 2026
PRIZE: Winning plays will be mentored, directed and performed by professional artists in July 2026