The 2023 New Works Creative Writing Competition Returns at Bay Street

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts has announced Writing The Wave: The 2023 New Works Creative Writing Competition, a creative writing contest open to all teens ages 13 and up across Suffolk County returns as part of the ninth annual Title Wave: The 2023 New Works Festival, scheduled to take place May 5 through May 7 at Bay Street Theater.

Submissions open Thursday, March 9, and must be original work written by the applicant, and can take the form of poetry, spoken word, rap, monologue, song, or short scene. The deadline for submissions is April 20. Prizes will be awarded to three finalists in the form of cash prizes, Bay Street Mainstage subscriptions, and festival passes to the 2023 Title Wave New Works Festival. This year, Bay Street will present a panel of judges comprised of local authors and playwrights. Those with additional questions can contact Director or Education and Community Outreach Allen O'Reilly via email at allen@baystreet.org.

In its inaugural year, Writing The Wave received more than 50 creative writing submissions from teens across Long Island, from Montauk to as far west as Babylon and Northport. The competition is a tremendous opportunity for area teens to explore their passions as authors, poets, artists, songwriters, and playwrights, giving them a chance of having their words read by professionals of the screen and stage. Of the works submitted, three finalists will be selected by a panel of judges and will receive a Certificate of Achievement.

All three finalists will be given the opportunity to present their original material live at Bay Street Theater during the 2023 Title Wave: New Works Festival, read or performed by themselves, or with the aid of a professional artist.

Prizes will be awarded:

• 1st Place: $100 Prize, one free subscription to Bay Street Theater's Mainstage Season, and an All-Access Pass To Title Wave: New Works Festival
• 2nd Place: One free subscription to Bay Street Theater's Mainstage Season and an All-Access Pass To Title Wave: New Works Festival
• 3rd Place: All-Access Pass To Title Wave: New Works Festival

All submissions must be original work and written by the student alone. Submissions must include the original written text in a PDF or DOC file, or a video link (Vimeo or Youtube) of the original work being presented or performed. Applicants can either perform their work themselves or enlist the aid of a performer. Submissions must be no longer than five pages or five minutes in performance length. Finalists will be selected on originality, creativity and innovate use of language.

Bay Street Theater is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center, which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. It serves as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists