Baltimore Center Stage Announces Honorees for 36th Annual Young Playwrights Festival

Baltimore Center Stage has announced the honorees for the 36th Annual Young Playwrights Festival. The Young Playwrights Festival is Baltimore Center Stage's longest running learning program that encourages expression and creativity in students across the state. Each year, playwrights in grades K-12 send in their short plays to our open call and six are chosen to be produced by Baltimore Center Stage. This year's program will be streamed on YouTube and Facebook on May 7th, 2021.

This year, Baltimore Center Stage was able to utilize the virtual nature of the program as an opportunity to expand access across the state of Maryland. Thanks to the generosity of the Maryland State Department of Education and VSA/The John F. Kennedy Center, Baltimore Center Stage was able to offer both free and discounted virtual residencies of the Young Playwrights Festival curriculum for multiple schools. Additionally, Baltimore Center Stage collaborated with DewMore Baltimore and expanded the open call to accept spoken word poetry as well as plays.

"This year's group of YPF plays and playwrights represent a wide range of styles, aesthetics, age ranges, and subject matters. I couldn't be more excited for BCS audiences to meet these young playwrights who I know have very bright futures ahead of them as artists," said Director of Artistic Partnerships and Innovation, Annalisa Dias. "It's been such a joy to watch them work with their mentors and to cheer each other on at first rehearsal. This year's theme was 'eyes on the horizon,' and when I look to the horizon, with these young playwrights leading the way, I know we're in good hands."

The Young Playwrights Festival is free, but registration is encouraged. To register for the event, CLICK HERE.

2021 Young Playwrights Festival Honorees

Bailarín

By Ms. Durkin's 4th Grade Drama Class, Hampstead Hill Academy

Joseph is the new boy in Ms. Haley's dance class. While at first his peers don't believe in his talents, they all quickly learn that kindness goes a long way.

The class consisted of 34 students: Sylvia Albrecht Brown, Vivienne Albrecht Brown, Patrick Beckham, Walter Brocatto Santos, Ashley Cano Martinez, Melissa Colin-Gonzalez, Edgar Corro-Cruz, Maria Fernandez, Yaretzi Gonzalez, Hanette Guzman-Rios, Heaven Harper, Urijah Holcomb, Gianna Johnson, Kamoir Johnson, Zoey Johnson, Zachary Kozlowski, Andy Munoz, Soledad Navas-Migueloa, Henry Neponuceno-Moran, Kevin Neponuceno-Moran, Luis Perez, Payton Robinson, Wallace Simon, Areanna Smith, Maeve Sullivan, Mekhi Sweets, Darius Tillman, Keren Velasquez Ruiz, Amaya Waters, Arely Xolalpa-Torres, Wesley Yupa-Cuzco, Javier Zhumi-Mendez, Erick Zuniga, and Pedro Zuniga.

The Lumberjacks

By Ms. Durkin's 2nd Grade Class, Hampstead Hill Academy

Riley and Andy have to save a forest of magical trees from being cut down by a group of lumberjacks. Enlisting the help of some woodland creatures, they scheme up a way to stop the lumberjacks and help them see the beauty in nature.

The class consisted of 31 students: Muhammad Abukhdeir, Azaria Afjei, Erick Almazo, Felix Almazo, Montay Batty, Mariajose Bautista, Selena Candia-Velazquez, Chrystian Cornish, Hafssa Daimoucha, Heidy Davila-Bernal, Gisselle Escalante-Sanchez, Ruby Flores Venancio, Genesis Fuentes Garcia, Kaylin Gause, Lylah Geist, Jesus Guerra Lopez, Alexis Hall, Antonia Harris, Josue Juanez Montoya, Davol Leverett, Yasmin Melo-Hernandez, Jaqueline Mendez-Mendoza, Aylin Nunez-Ramirez, Samantha Perlman, Mason Richards, Colin Robinson, Ayden Rouse, Kamari Simms, Heaven Sweets, Drew Tillman, and Ivy White.

The V-Force

By Ryan Robinson, Wyatt Gonder, Samantha Lee, and Carson Klaff

8th grade, Baltimore Lab School

An unknown virus is rapidly spreading across the country and only The V-Force can save the country. As this rag-tag group of heroes tracks down the source of the virus, they find themselves confronted by an unexpected intergalactic enemy.

HOW TO FIND A VILLAIN!

By Mekhi Thomas

DewMore Baltimore

The world's most powerful villain, Blackout, is on the brink of releasing The Syndicate Serum into the city. Join superheroes Lumi, Static, and Galak as they work together to stop Blackout and his evil plans. Will Lumi and his friends be able to stop Blackout before it's too late?

The Clock

By Ryan Pratt

8th grade, St. Andrews UM Day School

George and Josh need to get off The Clock, a dystopian world where people are forced to work in order to keep their time on the planet. But when they learn someone has unearthed the secret to The Clock's ways, they go on an adventure to find a new meaning of life.

The Goths Know More Than They're Letting On

By Kasey Stallworth

11th grade, Annapolis High School

Rain thinks her parents are too happy to be her real parents. Sunny believes she has the most sorrowful parents in the world. What happens when Sunny's and Rain's worlds collide on a sacred night?

YPF 2021 Creative Team

Directors: Aladrian C. Wetzel and Danielle A. Drakes
Scenic design: Patti Kalil
Costume design: Chelsea Kerl
Sound design: Twi McCallum

Stage Managers: Diallo Adams and Maria De Barros
Acting ensemble: Ricardo Blagrove, Kimberly Dodson, Samy Figaredo, Kayah Alexandra Franklin, Briana Gibson Reeves, Ui-Seng François, Inès Nassara, and Ryan Gholson
Playwriting mentors: Miranda Rose Hall, Heather McDonald, Kara Powell, Melissa Li, Otis Ramsey-Zöe, Kenneth Something

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