RLTP Now Accepting Submissions for Buffalo Young Writers Contest

Road Less Traveled Productions (RLTP) today announced it is accepting submissions for its fourth annual Buffalo Young Writers (BYW) contest; RLTP also indicated that, this year, it will be extending a call-for-work to students between the ages of 15 and 23 currently enrolled in Western New York (WNY) schools. (Previously, only WNY students ages 17 to 22 were invited to submit.) As in past years, local students are encouraged to write a ten-minute play; one grand-prize winner (selected by RLTP) will receive $250 and see his or her play produced at the Road Less Traveled Theater. Four runners up will also receive readings of their submissions, as well as complementary tickets to RLTP shows.

RLTP launched its first annual BYW contest in the fall of 2009 and received over 40 submissions; winners were announced in January of 2010 and showcased in the first annual BYW Night in May 2010. The program was a “great success, well-received by theatregoers and young playwrights alike,” according to RLTP Literary Director Jon Elston, and RLTP continued BYW in 2011 and 2012.

Inspired by the student contest, BYW alumni Katherine Boswell and Jon Zelasko subsequently have participated in the Emanuel Fried New Play Workshop, RLTP’s in-house, professional play development program. Two-time BYW Grand-Prize Winner Caitlin McAneney has been invited to join the 2013 Emanuel Fried New Play Workshop, and fellow BYW alumni Stefan Brundage has seen many of his short works produced at other area theatres, including the ALT and Buffalo United Artists.

“RLTP’s mission is to develop and produce world-premiere plays by local playwrights,” said Elston, “so the Buffalo Young Writers contest is a great opportunity to inspire WNY’s students of today to become RLTP’s working playwrights of tomorrow!”

Elston said that the decision to accept work from a broader age range of students was the result of many requests from budding playwrights both younger and older than the original 17 to 22 age-range window, as well as from their parents and teachers. “There was so much demand for the same opportunity for 15- and 16-year old playwrights, as well as for slightly older college seniors or graduate students,” said Elston, “that our original stock answers of “Come back in a couple of years!” or “We wish you had submitted last year!” just didn’t seem judicious anymore.”

“We want to inspire as manyaspiring young writers as possible,” Elston added.

To that end, Elston also reiterated that there is no admission fee for participation in the BYW contest. He emphasized the importance of an open and level playing field, regardless of a student’s school resources, “in order to allow all students between the ages of 15 and 23 that currently are enrolled in high school and college, to participate,” though he stressed that only students attending schools in WNY are eligible because RLTP’s mission is focused on WNY playwrights and theatre artist development.

BYW contest submissions will be accepted electronically by RLTP through Friday, March 1st, 2013, at 12:01 pm EST; school administrators and teachers are encouraged to incorporate the contest into 2012-2013 school-year curriculum. Contest winners will be announced at the Mighty Taco Talkback Thursday performance of RLTP’s season production of the play Seeds on Thursday, March 14th, 2013, at the Road Less Traveled Theater. Student admission for Mighty Taco Talkback Thursdays is only $5 with valid identification. More information about submissions is available at www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org.

The Road Less Traveled Theater is located at: 639 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14205 (inside the Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre). Tickets to all productions, including to BYW Night, are available by calling to make a reservation with the RLTP Box Office at (716) 629-3069 or in person at the Road Less Traveled Theater.

Road Less Traveled Productions (RLTP) is a professional theatre company dedicated to the development and production of new theatrical works by Western New York playwrights, as well as presentations of esteemed modern dramas of outstanding literary merit. RLTP is located in the Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre in the Theatre District of Downtown Buffalo, NY. For ticketing information call 1-800-745-3000 or visit www.RoadLessTraveledProductions.org. RLTP's work is made possible through public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

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