Cast Set For Week One of YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL at The Blank Theatre

Casting has been announced for week one of The Blank Theatre's 34th Annual Young Playwrights Festival. The first three of 12 winning plays by young playwrights aged 15–19 will be presented live onstage July 9–12 at the Skylight Theatre in Los Feliz. The plays are Rocky Hotdog Picture Show by Townes Powell (age 18, from Louisville, KY); Forgotten Fields by Kaizer Larson, (age 15, from Flushing, NY); and In the Name of Love by Charlotte Long (age 18, from Aldie, VA).

Rocky Hotdog Picture Show

Rocky Hotdog Picture Show will feature (in alphabetical order) Ashley Dulaney (Justified, Days of Our Lives, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Bones), Jonathan Fishman (Matlock, Et Tu, SARS-29),  Jonathan Grey (Babylon, Killing the Apologetic Girl, Heroes of Newerth), Lenny Jacobson (For All Mankind, Bumblebee, Frequency, Nurse Jackie), Rosie Ryden (Morgue Besties, There's a Batman Film Starring Gary Busey Buried in the Desert and I'm Going to Find It), and Ben Stillwell (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Shake It Up, Young Sheldon, Hacks). Philip MyTummy wants to be the next Joey Chestnut, but he is suffering the loss of his hotdog-eating father who drowned in mustard. With the help of a coach, will Philip be able to work through the death of his father and become the next World Champion Hotdog Eater? The playwright was mentored by Zora Bikangaga. Directed by Scott Lowell.

Forgotten Fields

Forgotten Fields will feature (in alphabetical order) Katie Burke (Rivals of Aether II, Tobias and the Arcane Merchant, Witchy Boots), Fallon Heaslip (9-1-1, The Zeroes, Girl Flu), Rian Sheehy Kelly (Irish Crime, The Rainmaker, Chicago Fire, Holiday Holdup), and Alan Smyth (The Outfield, Persons Unknown, NCIS, Children's Hospital). While Killian loses his memory, his sister-in-law tries to take the family's matters into her own hands at the possible expense of his family. The playwright was mentored by Robert L. Freedman. Directed by Erin Coleman.

In the Name of Love

In the Name of Love will feature (in alphabetical order) Elizabeth Mae Alan (My Left Arm, The English Rose, The Sound of Settling), Charlie Bodin (Halt and Catch Fire, Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse, Good Trouble, Hindsight), Ryan Padilla (Matlock, Loot, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Countdown, Prepare to Die), Cece Paige (Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, Dirty John), and Nicole Wolf (Runaways, The Pitt, Shameless, The Rookie). A young woman remembers past negative experiences while on a first date with a new guy. Will she stay stuck in the cycle of trauma or find hope in the possibility of a new relationship? The playwright was mentored by Lee Sherman. Directed by Victoria Hoffman.