Young Playwrights & TYA: a Connection We Should See More Of

It has been a busy summer for me away from the Guide, but this past week has been a flurry of news in the world of young playwrights programs. Just today I discovered two new opportunities for youth to share their stories with theatre companies: one is a "traditional" process of writing and submitting work; the other is a more general sharing of stories via digital platforms.

In Tampa, Florida, Think Tank Theatre recently produced a series of new TYA plays written by adults for young audiences under the name TYA Playwrights Festival. Additionally, the Gen Next Festival of works by young writers was produced in July 2021. You can see more about both program on the Think Tank Theatre website here. 

Write Now is a new play development program for adult playwrights who craft work specifically for young audiences. This program is a revised version of the Bonderman Symposium, which stood for many years as the pinnacle of new work in TYA in Indianapolis. The program has since shifted from an Indiana staple to a project shared by Childsplay in Tempe, Arizona and Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis. This summer, they began a new project called
"I Have a Story" that encourages youth to submit video stories, or written work, for consideration by Childsplay under the separate banner. Interested writers and mentors can find an introductory YouTube video here.

It is exciting to see work by young artists featured in connection with new play development programs in TYA that traditionally feature adult writers. Works by young writers are still an untapped resource for new, fresh work that speaks to youth audiences. I hope we see more of this in the years to come!

Follow @TheYPGuide