The Blank Theatre's 27th Annual Young Playwrights Festival Announces Winners

Now celebrating its 27th Anniversary, The Blank Theatre's Nationwide Young Playwrights Festival has chosen 12 plays by playwrights aged 14 19 from six different states. These plays will be presented by professional actors and directors in this year's Festival at The Blank's YPF Pop-Up Playhouse in Hollywood from June 6 30.

This year's winning plays are: NO SNAPPY SHIT by Michelle Garcia, age 18, Los Angeles, CA; THE PLUNGER OF TRUTH by Jared Goudsmit, age 18, Kirkwood, MO; MILESTONES by Anya Jimenez, age 15, Brooklyn, NY; AS YOU ARE by Andrea Yagher, age 17, Sherman Oaks, CA; UP A TREE by Kyra Goudsmit age 14, St. Louis, MO; BLUE TONGUED SKINK by Remi Mark, age 17, Miami, FL; POUNTOE CLEMENSEAU AND Kim Smith by Aleka Munsey, age 19, Monrovia, CA; LOCUS by Jane Brinkley, age 17, Eugene, OR; UNOPENED by Aishwarya Marathe, age 17, Portland, OR; MR. STEINER'S MASTERPIECE by Oliviana Marie, age 16, Los Angeles, CA; WHEN THE EAGLE EATS THE SNAKE by Ismael Salcedo Alarcon & Sabina Arcila, both age 17, Miami, FL; and INTERLUDE by Clara Collins, age 16, Mount Pleasant, NC.

This year's mentors are (in alphabetical order) Adam Belanoff, Beth Bigler, Ellen Byron, June Carryl, Aliza Goldstein, Madeline Hendricks, Bert Royal, Kit Steinkellner, Vanessa Claire Stewart, Jeff Tabnick, Gary Tieche, and Tessa Williams.

This year's directors are (in alphabetical order) Ryan Bergmann, Rebecca Eisenberg, Bjorn Johnson, Kate Jopson, Asaad Kelada, John Lacy, Danielle Ozymandias, Christopher James Raymond, Jesus Reyes, Laura Stribling, Richard Tatum, and Brenda Varda.

Past winners of The Blank Theatre's Young Playwrights Festival include Stephen Karam, recipient of the Tony Award for Best Play (The Humans); Lauren Yee, recipient of the Kesselring Prize for In A Word; Max Posner, recipient of a New York Times 'Critics Choice' for The Treasurer; Aliza Goldstein, LADCC Award-winner for A Singular They; Austin Winsberg, librettist of First Date on Broadway and writer of The Sound of Music Live! (NBC); and Kit Steinkellner, creator of new Elizabeth Olsen TV series Sorry for Your Loss.

Said Daniel Henning, Founding Artistic Director of The Blank, Each spring for the past 26 years, The Blank has found the freshest, most original voices in the American theatre, invited them to Los Angeles, and promoted their work during a month-long festival in June. This thought provoking work, performed and directed by seasoned professionals, has entertained thousands of audience members over the years. While these authors are often as different as the states from which they come and the subjects with which they deal, they share something truly improbable. They're teenagers. Henning continued, These are not only the voices of today's theatre they are the voices of tomorrow's as well.

This year's YPF is made possible in part by The National Endowment for the Arts, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Los Angeles City Department of Cultural Affairs, Mitch O'Farrell (Councilmember, 13th District, City of Los Angeles), The Plum Foundation, and The Rosenthal Family Foundation.

The Blank's YPF Pop-Up Playhouse is located at 6520 Hollywood Boulevard (at Wilcox), in Hollywood, 90028. The performance schedule is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm. Each week's program includes three plays, and admission is $25 for adults and $12 for students. Festival passes, which are good for one ticket each week of the festival, are $80 for adults and $40 for students. Tickets are now on sale and may be purchased online at www.TheBlank.com or by phone at (323) 661-9827.

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