Casting Announced for Week One of THE BLANK THEATRE'S 33rd Annual Young Playwrights Festival

The Blank Theatre has announced casting for week one of its 33rd Annual Young Playwrights Festival, taking place July 10–13 at the Skylight Theatre in Los Feliz.

The acclaimed festival will present 12 winning plays by writers aged 16 to 19 from across the country. Week one will showcase Chess in the Park by Max Leventon (age 17, Greenwich, CT), Revolutionary by Maya Rosen (age 19, Holliston, MA), and Noor-Eh-Man (My Light) by Keya Mehta (age 16, Glenmont, NY).

Chess in the Park

Cast: Toks Olagundoye (Veep, DuckTales, Castle, The Rookie) and Ptolemy Slocum (Westworld, Looking, Hitch).
Directed by Jazmine Nichelle | Mentored by Dave Osmundsen

Landon, lost in his thoughts while packing up his chess set, is surprised by his ex-wife Mira. As the two play, she confronts him about his emotional distance, especially from their son, in a haunting story about regret and final chances.

Revolutionary

Cast includes: Seth Allyn Austin, Scott Bender, Joe Choi, Nathalia Coppa, Jonathan Fishman, Michael Houston, Barbera Ann Howard, Lenny Jacobson, Les “Eljaye” Jennings, Cait Pool, and Elle Van Dorpe.
Directed by Arianna Basco | Mentored by Zora Bikangaga

In the town of Podunkytunk, a fiercely guarded “vessel rights” amendment forbids traffic lights. When a constable attempts to install a roundabout, the town spirals into public hearings and constitutional chaos in this sharp, surreal comedy.

Noor-Eh-Man (My Light)

Cast: Amber Afzali, Abdullah Khalil, Abbe Rowlins, and Arezu Tavakoli.
Directed by Camille Chen | Mentored by Vichet Chum

Set in Tehran, this searing intergenerational drama follows a group of young women resisting the morality police's hijab mandates. It’s a powerful tale of fire, grief, and unflinching resistance.

Performance Information