Bay Street Theater Announces Winners of Annual Suffolk Teen Writing Competition

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts has announced the winners of Writing The Wave: The 2024 New Works Creative Writing Competition, an annual creative writing contest open to all teens across Suffolk County as part of the 10th Annual Title Wave: The 2024 New Works Festival at Bay Street Theater. The competition is an opportunity for area teens to explore their passions as authors, poets, artists, songwriters, and playwrights.

The Winners of Writing The Wave: The 2024 New Works Creative Writing Competitio

• 1st place - Saadiyah Proctor, Why Blackbirds Cry (a play), North Babylon High School
  2nd place - Jeremiah Watts and Kimpo, “Trust Nobody” (a rap), North Babylon High School
  3rd place - Isabelle Caplin, “Not Only a Pencil, Not Only a Car, ”(creative writing),  Pearson High School

Honorable Mention:

• Makayla Cortes, “Days and Ages,” (poetry), William Floyd High School
• Robert Gmelch, “I Believe in You,” (poetry), Eastport- South Manor High School
• Georgia Kenney, “Just Be,” (poetry), East Hampton High School

The honorees will be announced on stage and their pieces performed by the writers themselves, other students, or acting professionals thereafter on Friday, May 17th at 6.30 as the kick-off for Title Wave: The New Works Festival, which will take place Friday, May 17th, through Sunday, May 19th, at Bay Street Theater. 

“This year, we had more entrants than ever, and our panel of esteemed judges were truly challenged to select the winners. This speaks to the great quality of engagement these students are receiving in their English Language Arts courses," said Allen O'Reilly, Bay Street Theater's Director of Education & Community Outreach.

This year's judges included Emma Walton Hamilton (children's author and co-founder of Bay Street Theater), Theresa Trinder (children's author), Susan Verde (children's author), Keith Reddin (playwright/actor), and Meg Gibson (playwright/actor).