Young Playwrights Festival

Each year, the WRITE A PLAY experience culminates on Florida Studio Theatre’s five-theatre campus with Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) Day, an annual celebration of children’s imagination and creativity. Participating students, teachers, and families from across the state of Florida and from as far as Scotland and Israel, come together to enjoy live performances of the year’s winning plays. Following these live performances, playwrights are honored in an awards ceremony and are presented with certificates and medals on stage.

Submit Your Play!

For guidelines on how to submit your play to the 2026 Young Playwrights Festival playwriting competition, click here. Priority deadline for submitting your play: January 31, 2026.

2025-2026 Winning Plays and Playwrights
(Grades K-6)

The Peel
By Gianna Napolitano
Grade 5 | Wilkinson Elementary, Ms. Ramirez

The Cool Patterns
By Johnathan Cruz
Grade 6 | Manatee School For the Arts, Ms. Quinones

Nugget Saves the Day
By Wyatt Christie, Charat Chantaraviboon, Davin Hicks, Isaac Roberts, Ross Taplinger
Grade 3 | Southside Elementary, Ms. Sullivan

Between Stops!
By Petronius Boles
Grade 3 | Bay Haven School of Basics Plus, Ms. Fancher

Saving the Day
By David Nuta
Grade 3 | Bay Haven School of Basics Plus, Ms. McQuaid

Roxy the Chicken
By Paige Jessop
Grade 5 | Braden River Elementary, Ms. Lander

The Cookie Case
By Taylor Phillippi and Mackenzie Shinn
Grade 5 | Tatum Ridge Elementary, Ms. Segelman

The Monster Who Got a Second Chance
By Kash Marquez
Grade 3 | Tatum Ridge Elementary, Ms. Braunstein

2025-2026 Winning Plays and Playwrights
(Grades 7-12)

Ki-T's Big Secret
By Xzavier Valdez-Sharp
Grade 7 | Holy Name School, Ms. Buchhofer

You Look Like Someone I Know
By Aaron Gordon
Grade 12 | Braden River High, Ms. Walter

Happy
By Valerie Rettig
Grade 11 | Braden River High, Ms. Walter

Full Circle
By Matthew Stahlmann, Caroline Souers, and Ellie Souers
Grades 7 and 8 | Learning and Families, Ms. Stahlmann

The Written Truth
By Reid Mitchell
Grade 11 | Riverview High School, Mr. A

Outspoken
By Abigail McDonald
Grade 9 | Sarasota High School, Ms. Knispel

Money on the Mind
By Mitch Michel
Grade 12 | Manatee High School, Ms. Catell

Unsent Messages
By Mia Burnett and Jessica Dingwall
Grade 9 | St. Columba's RC High School, Ms. Sinclair

The 3 Stages
By Gracie Christiansen
Grade 6 | Manatee School For The Arts, Ms. Quinones

Respawn Disabled
By Artem Teslyuk
Grade 9 | Riverview High School, Mr. A

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Jack and the Scary Noise
By Olivia Camacho and Aubrey Dillon
Grade 4 | Parrish Charter Academy, Ms. Campbell

THE BURGER AND DR. JACKSON
By Layanna Smith, Dylan Roes, and Miquez Munoz
Grade 3 | Alta Vista Elementary, Ms. Hazlewood

Astro-Moon
By Michael Martinez
Grade 4 | Louise R. Johnson K-8, Ms. Lyons

Fish Out Of Water!
By Paxton Farabee
Grade 6 | Manatee School For the Arts, Ms. Quinones

The Honest Fishermen
By Zachary Henshaw
Grade 4 | Atwater Elementary, Ms. Leworthy

The Great Birthday Cake
By Penny Mangum
Grade 3 | Southside Elementary, Ms. Ryckman

Pirate Court: The Case of the Missing Eye
By Wren Lawler
Grade 5 | Wilkinson Elementary, Ms. Morris

Floyd Forest
By Aurora Youngs
Grade 4 | Clarence Boswell Elementary, Ms. Youngs

Alligator's Scales
By Nam Nguyen
Grade 3 | Pine View School, Ms. Bass

The Nutcase!
By Sashti Suresh
Grade 5 | Pine View School, Mr. Vitkus

Animal Shelter Escape
By Phoebe Nguyen, Evelyn DuBois, and Sophia Khovyev
Grade 4 | Tara Elementary, Ms. Lander

Never Lie
By Jakob Howarter
Grade 3 | McNeal Elementary, Ms. Freeman

Library Lost
By Liv Bracco
Grade 10 | Riverview High School, Mr. A

A Warm Light At Night
By Reinely G
Grade 9 | Sarasota High School, Ms. Knispel

Deadwoman's Tale
By Zuleh Zayas Berrios
Grade 11 |Lake Gibson High School, Mr. Burdick

Picking a Star from the Sky
By Yune (Sophie) Park
Grade 11 | Choate Rosemary Hall, Ms. Doak

If You Forgive Me
By Ms. Mills's Advanced Drama Class
Grades 6, 7, and 8 | Booker Middle School, Ms. Mills