DreamWrights Youth and Family Theatre to Host Young Playwrights for Change Competition

DreamWrights Youth and Family Theatre is hosting the annual Young Playwrights for Change Competition at no cost to students in the area. This program is sponsored by American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) and Theatre for Young Audiences USA (TYA ) and is designed to harness the creativity of youth to bring focus to real-world issues. As a member of these organizations, DreamWrights is eligible to host the competition locally.

Interested students must be in grades six through eight and commit to writing one ten-minute play based on this year's theme of "Bullying." All scripts will be judged by a panel of playwrights and the winning play will be submitted to the national competition in Washington D.C. One national winner will have their play staged and read by up to four professional actors and a director at the Kennedy Center. They and two family members will be guests at the event with all related hotel and travel costs covered.

Applications are available online at www.DreamWrights.org/Change and are due by Oct. 18. This competition is limited to the first 20 students who apply, so get your application in as quickly as possible. Accepted applicants will be notified on Oct. 19.

The initial kick-off meeting for selected participants will be held the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 22 at DreamWrights (100 Carlisle Ave. York, PA 17401). Playwrights will then work on their scripts and return with drafts in mid-November to begin the review process. A final local winner will be selected and submitted to the national competition in early 2014.

Playwriting and reading are fun and provide a great opportunity to express ideas and feelings. If you can talk ... you can write a play. Applications are also available at the theatre.