17th Annual Young Playwrights Competition Accepting Entries Now Through 1/21

The Theater Project is once again reaching out to creative young people in its 17th annual Young Playwrights Competition. Winners receive cash prizes and see their work performed by professional actors at the awards ceremony in March of 2019.

"We look forward to inspiring and being inspired," says artistic director Mark Spina. "Every year, we are energized by the incredible talent and creativity in the entries, and every year we hope to inspire more young people to write and exercise their creativity by providing a showcase for their work."

On the day of the ceremony, the judges and members of The Theater Project's Adult Playwrights Workshop also offer half-hour tutorials to any interested contest entrant. Several past winners of the Playwrights Competition have gone on to pursue degrees in theater and playwriting, and they often return to The Theater Project's event to present prizes and share their journeys with the newest honorees.

"We want to make sure that kids know their creative efforts are valued by showcasing them for the community," says program coordinator Kevin Carver. "In tough economic times, arts education sometimes gets short-changed as people struggle to make ends meet and schools see their budgets shrink. But when kids lose out on arts experiences, they miss opportunities to develop critical thinking and reading skills that are needed now more than ever."

The submission deadline is January 21, 2019. New Jersey's high school playwrights submit their short plays at TheTheaterProject.org web site, where they will find all the necessary entry guidelines and formatting rules. The Theater Project is an award-winning professional company in residence at The Burgdorff Cultural Center in Maplewood, NJ. The company also offers events in Cranford, Rahway and Union.