The Blank Theatre's 31st Annual Young Playwrights Festival Announces Winners

Now celebrating its 31st anniversary year, The Blank Theatre's Nationwide Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) has chosen 12 plays by playwrights aged 15-19 from five different states.

This year's winning plays are: Lox by Leo Eigen, age 15, New York, NY; Slick, Slimy, Grimy, and Dead by Audrey Hunter, age 17, Dallas, TX; An Actor Recalls by Anna Parker, age 15, Houston, TX; Beach Bushes by Izzy Vismara, age 19, San Diego, CA; Opus 9 No. 2 by Alessio Vega, age 17, Syracuse, NY; Bat Eaters by Christine Lee, age 18, New York, NY; The Groundwater by Dylan Malloy, age 19, Aliso Viejo, CA; Life Review by Lola Podolner, age 15, La Grange, IL; Bowling!!! by Quint Bastian, age 16, Burbank, CA; Waiting for the 6 Train by Elizabeth Shannon (ELLIS), age 19, Frederick, MD; Good by Brian Guan, age 16, Dublin, CA; and Jonas Versus the Fairyarchy by Catherine Day, age 16, San Antonio, TX.

The plays are divided up into weekly offerings of three plays. The Blank is thrilled to announce that this year, for the first time since 2019, performances will be live. The festival will be in residence at the Skylight Theatre in Los Feliz from July 6-30.

This year's YPF selection committee included (in alphabetical order) Beth Bigler, Karlie Blair, David J. Castillo, Major Curda, Alex Blue Davis, Jennifer DeRosa, Aliza Goldstein, Cassandra Hsiao, Ian James, Michelle Lander, Scott Lowell, Annie McGrath, Jonathan Messer, Matthew Scott Montgomery, Alejandro Mungaray, Akela Munsey, Rosie Narasaki, Bree Pavey, Hannah Prichard, Diane Renee, and Joseph Kim Sexton.

Mentors, directors, and casting will be announced later.

This year's YPF is sponsored in part by the Department of Cultural Affairs - City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture, Plum Foundation, Caplin Foundation, Rosenthal Family Foundation, and YPFuture Founding Members.