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Young Playwrights Festival

An annual celebration of the outstanding creative achievements of all participating WRITE A PLAY students during the school year.

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 2025 Young Playwrights Festival playwriting competition, click here. Priority deadline for submitting your play: January 31, 2025.

I want FST's WRITE A PLAY program to be in every city and town across America.

-Teresa Eyring, Executive Director, Theatre Communications Group

2024-2025 Winning Plays and Playwrights (Grades K-6)

Kais Mohammad
Title: A Tale of Two Friends: Porcupine and Rabbit
Ms. Calabrese, Ashton Elementary
Grade 1

Kenan Alkouni
Title: Jack and the Turtle's Secret
Ms. Fancher, Bay Haven School of Basics Plus
Grade 3

Aria Foote
Title: Chrissy Saves the Forest
Ms. Fancher, Bay Haven School of Basics Plus
Grade 3

Hannah Miller and Linnea Weiss
Title: To Be, or Not To Be…Sprinkled
Ms. See, Fruitville Elementary
Grade 5

Xzavier Valdez-Sharp and Tahj Johnson
Title: Big Bad Bruce
Dr. Deirdre, Holy Name School
Grade 6

Blake Hoch
Title: Guitar Blues
Ms. Lambert, Island Village Montessori
Grade 5

Calen Magnant
Title: Hot Dog Farm
Ms. Mulligan, McNeal Elementary
Grade 3

Liam Middleton, Rowan Morgese, Viktor Stomporowski, and Griffin Tentler
Title: The Pirate Ship and The Sea Monster
Ms. Sullivan, Southside Elementary
Grade 1

Jaxson Sloman
Title: A Sticky Situation
Ms. Lander, Tara Elementary
Grade 5

Lola Bartolomeo, Cora Kollet, and Adalyn Roushia
Title: Vroomeo and Vroomiet
Ms. Anderson, Tatum Ridge Elementary
Grade 5

2024-2025 Winning Plays and Playwrights (Grades 7-12)

Drew Masters
Title: Lost Water Bottle
Ms. Maddox, Hackley School
Grade 7

Namah Horton
Title: The Salmon of Knowledge
Ms. Adams, Donna Klein Jewish Academy
Grade 11

Matrick Thorpe
Title: Blueberries & Bear Hugs
Mr. Wiley, Pine View School
Grade 12

Ori Zada
Title: Friendship on the Border
Miriam Cramer, Or Torah Tel Mond
Grade 6

Ms. Mills’s Social/Emotional Skills Class
Title: The Gate-cation
Carrie Mills, Booker Middle School
Grade 6, 7, 8

Isabella Cobucci-Reis de Oliveira and Aaron Gordon
Title: Objective Memory
Ms. Walter, Braden River High School
High School

Valerie Rettig
Title: The Letter
Ms. Walter, Braden River High School
High School

Emily Gonzales
Title: Apocalypse Survivalist?
Mr. A, Riverview High School
Grade 10

David Aderemi
Title: Breaking Point
Ms. Malcolm, St. Columbia's RC High School
Grade 9

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Sofia Rivera-Garcia and Eron Rivera-Hernandez
Title: The Tiger and the Gorilla
Ms. Chagnon and Ms. Dafoulas, Alta Vista Elementary
Grade 3

Greysen Kreger
Title: The Squished Clock
Ms. McCormack, Ashton Elementary
Grade 1

Kya Totten
Title: Bear's Big Lesson
Ms. Fancher, Bay Haven School of Basics Plus
Grade 3

Tru Crenshaw
Title: The Magical Soccer Ball
Ms. McQuaid, Bay Haven School of Basics Plus
Grade 3

Paige Jessop
Title: Little Lady
Ms. Lander, Braden River Elementary
Grade 5

Chase Balisciano
Title: Cats and Dogs
Ms. Bolstridge, Brentwood Elementary
Grade 3

Reagan Purdy and Amelia Shinall
Title: Crayons  vs. Markers
Ms. Bee, Fruitville Elementary
Grade 3

Rory Martell
Title: The Flying Monkey
Ms. See, Fruitville Elementary
Grade 5

Emily Yauch
Title: Life in a Different Dimension
Ms. Debbie and Mr. Patrick, Island Village Montessori
Grade 4

Eden Rubin
Title: The Adventures of the Lost Time Capsule
Ms. Lambert, Island Village Montessori
Grade 5

Mila Alfonso and Angelena Gorris
Title: Sick Magic
Ms. Lyons, Louise R. Johnson K-8
Grade 4

Ms. Lyons’s 4th Grade Class
Title: The Giraffe That Couldn't Fit
Ms. Lyons, Louise R. Johnson K-8
Grade 4

Khushi Patel
Title: How Jupiter Became a Gas Giant
Ms. Bass, Pine View School
Grade 3

Emma Baird, Pepper Ballard, Jade Lautenschlager, Madilyn Moore, and Johnna Pesce
Title: The Gem Thief
Ms. Sullivan, Southside Elementary
Grade 1

Vincent Glick, Brooks Menke, Julien Nishida, and Davyn Potts
Title: Flingo's Tricky Adventure
Ms. Sullivan, Southside Elementary
Grade 1

Ella Brown
Title: The Kitten Disaster
Ms. Lander, Tara Elementary
Grade 3

Maisie Johnson
Title: A Chore Doing Snowman
Ms. Anderson, Tatum Ridge Elementary
Grade 5

Gavin McIntyre
Title: The Two Musketeers
Ms. Anderson, Tatum Ridge Elementary
Grade 5

Anna McLaughlin
Title: Trapped in Time
Ms. Stahlmann, Learning and Families
Grade 8

Holly Valdez
Title: Down By the River
Ms. Cicchella, North Marion High School
Grade 11 

Joysi Jimenez, Heavyn Mays, and Stephen Stacell
Title: Julio's Strawberries Quest
Mr. Bajjaly, Manatee School for the Arts
Grade 6 

Faith McCue
Title: O'Daveilious
Mr. A, Riverview High School
Grade 10 

Dallas Seedorff
Title: Who's Dead?
Mr. A, Riverview High School
Grade 12

Also in this Section

WRITE A PLAY for Elementary Students

Introduce your elementary school classroom to the art of theatre and inspire your students to write their own original plays through this award-winning three-part series.

WRITE A PLAY for Secondary Students

Using proven theatrical methodology, inspire and encourage your students to explore their innate creativity through workshops in playwrighting, improvisation, or a customized experience designed especially for your classroom.

Teacher Tools

Make the most of your WRITE A PLAY experience with the help of these additional, free resources. Download the submission packet, steam instructional videos in your classroom, and more.

Supporters

Let's hear it for the generous individuals, organizations, and businesses whose support has helped FST's award-winning WRITE A PLAY program impact over one million students to date!