Teachers & Students

Young Playwrights Festival

 

 

The Festival

The Young Playwrights Festival is an annual event that cultivates and celebrates the talent of high school students. The purpose of this Festival is to encourage the development of students' writing skills and creativity, with the added benefit of discovering talented playwrights in our region.

The Process

Teachers must attend at least one workshop in which Barter professionals give them the tools for teaching playwriting to their students. After receiving classroom instruction on playwriting, students develop plays and submit them to a select group of Barter professionals for feedback and critique. The plays are not to exceed 10 minutes in length. The three winning plays are lightly staged at Barter Theatre by professional actors, and the five honorable mention plays are given a reading. Schools are invited to a morning performance of the plays, where students have the chance to see their peers’ work. A nighttime performance, awards ceremony and reception is open to the public. Writers of the top three plays receive cash prizes and a mentoring session with a Barter professional, which allows the students to have valuable one-on-one time with experts in the field of theatre and playwriting. The first-place student's teacher receives two tickets to any performance at Barter Theatre.

Winners

Winners work with Barter professionals to enhance and or lengthen their plays. Awards are presented each year to the winning students and schools.

 

For information about YPF, please contact Barter Theatre’s Education Coordinator at (276) 619-3347 or e-mail at education@bartertheatre.com.

 

 

 

 

2009 Festival

  November 9.  Student Program: 10:30 a.m. at Barter Theatre; Awards Ceremony: 7 p.m. Barter Stage II

 

Sponsors of Barter's Young Playwright's Festival

• Bank of America
• Crutchfield
• The Prather Foundation