DCPA Announces Winners For The 2019/20 AT&T High School Playwriting Competition

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is pleased to announce the finalists of The AT&T High School Playwriting Competition for Colorado high school students now in its seventh year.

Out of 154 submissions and 10 finalists, DCPA artistic, literary and education professionals have selected Brandon Guo (Peak to Peak Charter School), Connor Yokley (Highlands Ranch High School), and Meghan Frey (Estes Park High School) as the three winners in the annual playwriting competition. These students will receive mentorship from a professional playwright and have their plays read at the 2020 Colorado New Play Summit on Saturday, February 22 at 9:30am and 8pm in The Randy Weeks Conservatory Theatre.

Each winner also receives a $250 cash scholarship and a complimentary pass to the Colorado New Play Summit. In addition, each winner's sponsoring teacher will receive $250 for books, supplies, or other teaching tools for their classrooms. Finally, the three selected winners will have a professional reading of their work at their school.

"We are so thrilled to support burgeoning playwrights and any opportunity to encourage amazing writers to put their authentic voices in the world," said Allison Watrous, Executive Director of Education and Community Engagement. "These writers are the brave next generation of the American Theatre and beyond, grappling with issues of our times including identity, climate change and the future."

The 2019/20 AT&T High School Playwriting Workshops and Competition served 3,152 students with DCPA teaching artists conducting 165 playwriting workshops in 21 counties statewide.

2019-20 Winners:

(Alphabetical by title)

• God's Not Dead, He's Just an Admissions Officer by Brandon Guo, Peak to Peak Charter School

• Imminent And Disastrous by Connor Yokley, Highlands Ranch High School

• Romeo and Julien by Meghan Frey, Estes Park High School

2019-20 Finalists:

(Alphabetical by title)

• God's Not Dead, He's Just an Admissions Officer by Brandon Guo, Peak to Peak Charter School

• Gone Forever by Eliana Howes, Renaissance Secondary

• Human by Angela Weddig, Peak to Peak Charter School

• Imminent and Disastrous by Connor Yokley, Highlands Ranch High School

• Jolly Land by Conrad Branch, Denver East High School

• Lil Jesus by Ruby Brown and Olivia Kelley, Salida High School

• The Milkshake Bar by Ellie Olsen, Arapahoe High School

• Plastic Tiara by Omar Arevalo, John F. Kennedy High School

• Romeo and Julien by Meghan Frey, Estes Park High School

• The Stories We Tell by Arianna Josue, Lakewood High School

For more information on all youth playwright finalists, visit denvercenter.org/news-center