City Theatre Reveals 2025 Young Playwrights Contest Winners

City Theatre in Pittsburgh has announced the five winning plays of the 2025 Young Playwrights Contest, selected from over 320 submissions by students in grades 7–12 across the region.

The winning one-acts will be professionally produced as part of the Young Playwrights Festival, running October 21–31, 2025, with public performances on October 25 and 26.

Now in its 26th year, the Young Playwrights Contest is a cornerstone of City Theatre’s commitment to nurturing youth voices and promoting new works by emerging writers.

“These young writers captivated our literary committee with fearless storytelling and emotional depth,” said Katie Trupiano, City Theatre’s Director of Education & Accessibility. “As we continue to elevate youth perspectives on stage, we’re proud to provide a professional platform for their creative work.”

2025 Young Playwrights Festival Winning Plays:

Echoes of Birthday Laughter

by Mary Joyce (8th grade, Belle Vernon Middle School)
Alex’s dream birthday in New York City unravels in a whirlwind of miscommunications, expectations, and one chaotic cupcake clash. A funny and heartfelt look at friendship and self-discovery.

Bolts and Apologies

by Hayden Carr, AJ Montenaro, and Oliver Rent (7th grade, Keystone Oaks Middle School)
A grumpy AI named Trigger 3.0 is transported from Cy-York City to 2025 New York, where he begins to re-evaluate everything he thought he knew about humanity—one fast food joint at a time.

Chaos and Reason

by Tiana Ellis (12th grade, Washington High School)
Parker’s anxiety and self-doubt clash with a spark of new love in a library, in this witty, moving exploration of overthinking and connection.

Rest Their Souls

by Basil Lee (11th grade, Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12)
Two classmates cut faces out of an old photo, unearthing past secrets, grief, and what it means to let go—or not—of the people we used to be.

The Train of Memory

by Isabella Blick (12th grade, Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12)
A father’s failure to tie a scout knot sends him on a surreal journey through his own childhood memories, guided by a sardonic train engineer, as he searches for redemption in his son’s eyes.

All five plays will be published in the upcoming edition of the Young Playwrights Anthology.

Pittsburgh Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. ANASTASIA: THE MUSICAL (Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center)

9.2% of votes

2. THE PROM (Stage 62)

8.9% of votes

3. SOMETHING ROTTEN! (Geyer Performing Arts Center)

8% of votes

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