New Listing & Getting Into the Room Where It Happens When You Can't Actually Be in the Room

About one week ago, I shared information regarding the Young Playwrights Map in a Facebook group for high school theatre teachers and directors. The positive response was wonderful! Also exciting was the information from Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Virginia (near to DC Metro area / Dulles / Gaithersburg) regarding The Cornfield Picks, a new play festival for young people ages 13-18.

The Cornfield Picks is open to youth writers from around the world and seeks plays built around an annual theme. The submission deadline for The Cornfield Picks is October 1. Submissions are being accepted throughout August and September. See the program website for details and contact information.

There are a number of opportunities like The Cornfield Picks with open submissions to youth across the United States and from around the world, but young writers often shy away from such programs because of the long distance. My advice is to submit to all programs for which you may be eligible especially if they are national or international. Before you do so, you may want to contact the program directly to inquire about how to be involved in the rehearsal process, or to get a video copy of the production. This is a good idea for any program listed on the Map that may be geographically far to reach. While it is great to have your play produced, research shows that there is great benefit to both you and the production company when a young playwright is involved in rehearsals. The practice is not without precedent: a few years ago, a young playwright I taught had written a play for the Paula Vogel Mentors Project sponsored by Philadelphia Young Playwrights and produced by Found Theatre. Since the writer could not attend all of the production meetings and rehearsals in Philly, they used teleconferencing to bring her "into" the room whenever possible. That seems like an inexpensive and simple way to bridge any physical gap that may be present, provided that the company (or school) has the technology to do so. If you'd like to be involved in the process if your play is chosen for performance, be sure to ask before submitting your work. Or, if you are ok with the script being developed without your input in rehearsals, go ahead and get that submission in.

And don't forget to use the Young Playwrights Map to find other venues to submit your work.