Skip to main content Skip to footer site map

The Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Academy Spring Session Begins Next Week

Enrollment ends on February 4 for the 2023 spring session of The Blank Theatre's Young Playwrights Academy (YPA).

The Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Academy Spring Session Begins Next Week

Enrollment ends on February 4 for the 2023 spring session of The Blank Theatre's Young Playwrights Academy (YPA). All classes, which begin on February 6 and run through April 12, are conducted live online. YPA gives young playwrights an opportunity to learn from some of the best writers in Los Angeles and beyond. YPA offers weekly classes, writing assignments, feedback, and goal setting aimed at helping them discover and develop their own unique voices and points of view. Admission is granted based upon evaluation of a short writing sample and brief artistic statement.

There are two courses: Beginner Playwriting and Advanced Playwriting. Each course includes 10 class sessions - eight working class meetings (90 minutes each), one master class led by a working writer, and performance showcases of each student's work performed by professional actors. This session's instructors are (in alphabetical order) Dan Giles, Dahn Hiuni, Penelope Lowder, and Vasanti Saxena. Complete course descriptions and more info on the instructors is available on https://www.theblank.com/ypa.

The 2023 spring session also introduces the Jane Brinkley Memorial Scholarship, awarded to a young writer who demonstrates values of kindness and generosity as well as a gifted voice in their writing. Together with her parents, Rachael and Ben, The Blank is proud to honor the memory of three-time Young Playwrights Festival winner Jane Marin Brinkley, who was an artist and activist, gone from this world far too soon. Said Bree Pavey, Blank Theatre Producing Director, "Jane and her family left an indelible mark on everyone at The Blank, and we are happy to be able to honor the gifts she shared with YPF and the world by awarding another like-minded artist the opportunity to further develop their own gifts."

The recipient for this session is Ephraim Smith, currently a senior at Egg Harbor Township High School in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. An actor as well as a writer, his most recent credit is Charles in Blithe Spirit in December 2022. Having been a writer since age 11, he has always loved telling gritty stories with even more gritty characters, drawing lots of inspiration from the music of Green Day, Evanescence, and others.

For three decades, The Blank Theatre has showcased the unique voices of talented writers ages 19 and younger. Its nationwide Young Playwrights Festival is the premiere venue for young people to share their original stories. As part of the YPF prize, winning playwrights receive world class mentorship opportunities. Now, that kind of education and mentorship to others is available through the Young Playwrights Academy.

The YPA experience provides a safe and nurturing atmosphere to empower young people to enhance their creative perspectives and enrich their writing. The Blank believes that artistic education must focus on eventually working in the professional world and, therefore, YPA offers hands-on practical learning to its students. Registration fee is $199.

To register, go to https://www.theblank.com/ypa.



Community Play Readings Return to L.A. Libraries Photo
Through Center Theatre Group’s Education and Community Partnerships’ Community Play Readings, Boyle Heights libraries will be the first to experience new works from three local playwrights in March and May.

Company Of Angels, Angel City Improv To Reopen Theater With WELCOME TO THE VANTAGE POINT Photo
After closing their doors to the public at the beginning of the covid pandemic in 2020, Company of Angels (CoA) has announced that they are reopening with their first mainstage production in 3 years, 'Welcome to the Vantage Point,' an improvised family-friendly comedy show.

Laguna Art Museum Awarded California Cultural and Historical Endowment Grant Photo
Laguna Art Museum has been awarded the California Cultural and Historical Endowment Museum Grant in the amount of $178,288 from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment (CCHE) in support of the museum’s Create Access Program, which provides free educational student tours and hands-on art classes that build history studies, language arts and art skills for K - 12 Title 1 Students in Orange County, CA.

Photos: First Look at MENSTRUATION: A PERIOD PIECE at Big Little Theater Company Photo
Big Little Theater Company in association with the Los Angeles LGBT Center with support from We the Women present the world premiere production of Menstruation: A Period Piece by Miranda Rose Hall. Check out photos here!


More Hot Stories For You


Ophelia's Jump Presents NATIVE GARDENS, A Hot-Button Comedy By Karen ZacaríasOphelia's Jump Presents NATIVE GARDENS, A Hot-Button Comedy By Karen Zacarías
March 23, 2023

Ophelia's Jump Productions (OJP) continues their 10th Season with Native Gardens by Karen Zacarías. The production will be performed at the Ophelia's Jump Studio Theater, located at 2009 Porterfield Way, Suite H, in Upland, from April 7, 2023 through May 7, 2023.

The HCLAB Presents the 3rd Annual Old Play Reading Festival
March 23, 2023

After a 3 year absence due to the pandemic, the HCLAB Theater Company and the Art of Acting Studio are excited to return to Los Angeles theater to present its third annual Old Play Reading Festival, a twist on the concept of a “new” play festival that instead honors plays in the classic theater canon. 

Luke Hawkins, Sareen Tchekmedyian & More to Star in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS at Musical Theatre WestLuke Hawkins, Sareen Tchekmedyian & More to Star in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS at Musical Theatre West
March 22, 2023

Musical Theatre West has announced the cast of its spring production, An American in Paris. See who is starring, and learn how to purchase tickets!

Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus Wins Top Honors For Architecture By The United States Institute Of Theatre TechnologyRed Mountain Theatre Arts Campus Wins Top Honors For Architecture By The United States Institute Of Theatre Technology
March 22, 2023

The United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) announced that the Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus project would be receiving the top honor in this year's Architecture Awards Programs.

Sixth Edition Of DaVinci International Film Festival Announces 2023 DatesSixth Edition Of DaVinci International Film Festival Announces 2023 Dates
March 22, 2023

The sixth edition of the DaVinci International Film Festival (DIFF) will take place from October 20-22, 2023 at AMC Theatres at The Grove in Los Angeles, as announced by DaVinci Film Foundation Inc. founder/CEO Chadwick Pelletier.