Cast Set for Pegasus Theatre's 39th Annual Young Playwrights Festival
Productions include Blizzard Bound, Offices Etc. and more.
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Pegasus Theatre Chicago has revealed the cast and for its 39th Annual Young Playwrights Festival, January 1 - 24, 2026 at Chicago Dramatists. Tickets are on sale now! Previews are Thursday, Jan. 1 and Friday, Jan. 2 at 7pm and Saturday, Jan. 3 at 2:30 p.m. with the Opening Ceremony and press performance, Sunday, Jan. 4 at 2:30 p.m.
For nearly four decades, the Young Playwrights Festival, the oldest such festival in the United States, has engaged and inspired high school students across Chicago by teaching them to craft one-act plays. More than 300 submissions are received annually with the winning teen playwrights’ productions being work-shopped, staged by industry professionals and receive a premiere under the auspices of Pegasus Theatre Chicago’s Young Playwrights Festival.
The 39th Young Playwrights Festival includes:
Blizzard Bound
by Sophia Ponce (Whitney Young Magnet High School, Teacher Elizabeth Danesh), directed by Ilesa Duncan
In a hurry to close up shop, a blizzard traps the owner of a convenience store with last minute customers.
Offices Etc.
by Clark Tavas (Lane Tech College Prep, Teacher Dane Haiken), directed by Anna C. Bahow
An office worker is desperate to find someone (anyone!) who knows how to operate Excel spreadsheets.
A Question
by Lola Zimmerman (Senn High School, Teacher Harper Case), directed by Ben Locke
A pair of strangers sit on a park bench and reflect on life as an asteroid hurtles towards earth.
Toil & Trouble
by Ashley Snyder (Lane Tech College Prep, Teacher Dane Haiken), directed by Ilesa Duncan
When three sisters reunite to cast an ancient spell, long-held resentments are soon exposed. As tempers flare, the spell reveals something far more potent than anticipated…
The cast for the 2026 Young Playwrights Festival includes Shelby Marie Edwards, Leah Huskey, Rich Lazatin, Diego Rivera-Rodriguez, Kianna Rose and Peter Stielstra. The understudies include Emmett Knee, Mia Marks, Karli Scott and Aaron Warrow.
The production team includes: Anna Bahow, IIesa Duncan and Ben Locke (directors); Manuel Ortiz (scenic designer); Brenden Marble (lighting designer); Saawan Tiwari (Costume Designer); Wendy Ann (props designer); Zach Stinnett (sound designer); Melanie Thompson (production manager) and Maryah Paige (stage manager).
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