MadLab's Young Writers Short Play Festival 2026 at MadLab

The Young Writers Short Play Festival is MadLab’s investment in the next generation of playwrights. Each year, Central Ohio high school students submit original short plays and are paired with experienced mentors to help shape and strengthen their work. Selected pieces are then fully produced—cast, directed, and staged by MadLab—giving young writers the rare opportunity to see their voices realized onstage. It’s a hands-on, real-world introduction to the power of storytelling, collaboration, and creative risk. MadLab's Young Writers Short Play Festival 2026 runs July 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and August 1. All performances at 8:00pm. MadLab.net for tickets and more information.

The Plays:
What’s Left by Charlie Meigs
“Left searching for the right words.”
Inside a fleeting library, two halves of the same mind - logical Left and emotional Right - wrestle with creativity, identity, and the pressure to define themselves. As time runs out, they’re forced to confront a simple question: if you’re not what you create - or who you are to others - what’s left?

Jenny by Asher Lee
“What good is forever without freedom?"
In a dark, whimsical world, a sheltered girl bound to a mysterious form of immortality longs to experience life beyond her father’s control. When she encounters a kind-hearted boy, romance blossoms. But her unnatural existence begins to unravel, forcing her to confront the cost of freedom.

Less Than A Second by Amelia Schroeder
“Some collisions are overdue.”
When a car crash freezes time, two coworkers are given six suspended minutes to confront the tension, resentment, and unspoken truths between them. In the space between impact and aftermath, they must decide what’s worth holding onto - and what needs to change if they survive.

Indivisible by Evelyn Coen
“One nation. Divided.”
Three teenagers confront present day realities in this fast-moving exploration of what it means to grow up in a world that feels like it’s falling apart. As they wrestle with fear, identity, and the constant noise of crisis, they’re forced to confront a difficult question: how do you hold onto hope when everything around you is falling apart?

Eggplant Salad by Kaydence Baker
“Welcome to the neighborhood.”
Two best friends and roommates host a housewarming dinner, hoping to connect with their new neighbors. But as one overly intrusive, self-assured guest pushes past polite boundaries, the evening spirals into a tense and darkly comic clash over identity, assumptions, and just how far “good manners” can stretch.

Walk to Freedom by Ari Worly
“History remembers the wars. Families remember the walk.”
Based on a true story. In a snow-covered forest at the edge of safety, three generations of women risk everything for a chance at survival. When they are stopped by a border officer bound by duty but torn by conscience, both sides must confront the human cost of obedience - and the courage it takes to choose compassion.

Death for a Day by Brody Gingrey
"Everyone dies… eventually."
When Death ditches his duties for a convention, his nervous teenage intern is forced to step in - despite having no idea what he’s doing. But his first assignment, a stubborn and unstoppable grandma, proves that cheating death might be a lot easier than doing Death’s job.

Don’t Lose Your Head by Emma Dopler
“Fame is to die for.”
When student filmmakers set out to capture real paranormal footage, they stumble upon a headless corpse with a story to tell - and a missing piece to recover. As the night spirals into chaos, what begins as a scrappy film project quickly becomes something far more dangerous, forcing them to confront just how far they’re willing to go for the perfect shot.