The Blank Theatre Announces Partnership With LA City College Theatre Academy For 28th Annual Young Playwrights Festival And Beyond

The Blank Theatre in Hollywood has announced it will partner with LA City College Theatre Academy to produce the 28th Annual Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) in June, 2020, and beyond. The partnership is a major milestone for The Blank and YPF and a huge part of the Festival's growth and expansion. The 90-year-old Theatre Academy has educated generations of artists, many of whom have gone on to great things. The Blank's Young Playwrights Festival is a nationwide competition that produces the work of 12 young writers each year. Since 1993, the Festival has produced 332 plays by playwrights 19 and younger from 34 states.

This new partnership will include the opportunity for LACC students to audition for YPF shows. In addition, complimentary tickets will be offered to all students and faculty. The Festival's Apprentice Program will be an official course offered by LA City College; YPF apprentices will be able to receive college credit for their work on the Festival and LACC students will have the opportunity to be a part of the YPF production team.

Said Daniel Henning, Founding Artistic Director of The Blank, "It has been our dream for a very long time to partner with an educational institution to present YPF. After 27 years, we are now making huge strides toward a bright future. It's a perfect fit and I couldn't be more thrilled. YPF is finally going to college!"

Through the years, many of the winning plays have been nominated for LA theatre awards, including an Ovation Award for Best Writing-World Premiere, and an LA Weekly Award for Best One-Act Playwriting. Many alumni playwrights are populating the nation's theatres and sound stages with their work. Many YPF winners have gone on to successful writing careers on Broadway, are filling regional stages, and have created network TV shows. Alumnus Stephen Karam has been a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and is a Tony Award-winner for Best Play of the 2016 Broadway season for The Humans. Alumnus Lauren Yee is a 2019 Doris Duke Artist and she is the second most produced playwright in the 2019-2020 season according to American Theater Magazine (with her plays The Great Leap, King of the Yees, and Cambodian Rock Band).

For more information, visit The Blank Theatre's website at www.TheBlank.com.

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