Alpha and Omega: A Brief History at Listing #103

Royal Court Theatre, London
photo credit: Helen Murray

This afternoon, I added a pair of programs in the UK that were not previously on the Map. One of these is the Young Writers' Group at the Royal Court Theatre in London. It is ironic that this would be the newest listing because, if I remember my history correctly, the Royal Court writing program for youth began around 1973. Gerald Chapman ran this program until 1981 when he was recruited by Stephen Sondheim and the Foundation of the Dramatists Guild to create and lead a national young playwrights contest in the United States. That competition grew rapidly and inspired the proliferation of similar programs across the country. Eventually, the contest sprouted the non-profit company Young Playwrights, Inc., which has administered the competition ever since (although the program has been on hiatus following the sudden death of long-time artistic director, Sheri Goldhirsch).

The addition of the young playwrights program at the Royal Court Theatre brings the total number of listings on the Map up to 103... and counting!

If you're a writer ages 18 and younger, get your work out there!
We can't wait to see it.