At Philadelphia Young Playwrights, we love celebrating and supporting student writers. Winners of our festivals may be invited to have their play included as part of our annual theater productions or our reading series, which means your work will be shared with a public audience. Winners may also be invited to receive mentorship opportunities with our staff of artists, giving you the chance to receive individualized support as a writer.

What does first place mean?

First place means that we believe your play is ready to be read by actors and enjoyed by a public audience, and we think you’re ready, too!

This means we will contact you to see if you are interested in joining us and a creative team of theatre artists for a rehearsal and play revision process that will end in a public reading of your play.

There are lots of things you’ll learn and experience as your play is workshopped, including:

• How storytelling (which can feel solitary) can be a community experience!
• How different theatre companies - and playwrights! - have different goals and missions, and how they find each other to collaborate. 
• What it’s like to rehearse with a director, a dramaturg (script mentor), stage manager, and a cast of actors.
• How playwrights use readings of their work as an opportunity to set goals for their play and overall development as an artist. 
• How revision can be a collaborative experience, and how working with a director, dramaturg and actors can spark new ideas for your play.
• How different artists - and audience members - interpret your words and are impacted by your play in different ways.​

Your creative team will work to realize your writing and artistic goals, which means you’ll have lots of opportunities to contribute ideas, pose questions, propose changes, and experiment! Over the course of the process, some skills you may find yourself using include: creativity, communication (written and verbal), reflection, self-advocacy, problem-solving, big-picture thinking, collaboration, flexibility, patience, leadership, time management, and organizational skills.

What does second place mean?

We believe your play has exciting potential, and that you have exciting potential, too!

This means we will contact you to see if you are interested in receiving a month-long mentorship with a Young Playwrights artist. You and your mentor will meet weekly to discuss your goals for your play and for yourself as an artist. Between meetings, your mentor can give you weekly online feedback on your writing-in-progress, too!

If you sign up for a Playwriting Mentorship, there are lots of things you’ll learn, including:

• How storytelling (which can feel solitary) can be a shared experience!
  
• How revision can be a collaborative experience, and how working with a mentor can spark new ideas for your play.
  
• How engaging with art and artists of all genres can inspire you as a writer and artist.
  
• How playwrights use readings of their work as an opportunity to set goals for their play and overall development as an artist. 
  
• How different artists interpret your words and are impacted by your play in different ways.
  

Your mentor will work to realize your writing and artistic goals, which means they’ll look to you to contribute ideas, pose questions, and propose changes. Over the course of the process, some skills you may find yourself using include: creativity, communication (written and verbal), reflection, self-advocacy, problem-solving, collaboration, flexibility, leadership, and organizational skills.

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What does third place mean?

Third place means that we believe in you and your play, and we would love to get to know you more as a writer and artist!

This means we will reach out to you with an opportunity to join us for a one-day writing retreat alongside a community of theatre artists and fellow student writers.

There are lots of things you’ll learn and experience as your play is workshopped, including:

• How storytelling (which can feel solitary) can be a community experience in a workshop setting that is focused on supporting you, your goals, and your writing!
• How experiencing the work and creativity of other writers can inform and inspire your own artistic process.
• How playwrights use readings of their work as an opportunity to set goals for their play and overall development as an artist. 
• How to give feedback to fellow writers that is supportive and centered on their goals.
• How to use hands-on activities like movement, improvisation, drawing, and more, to experiment and revise your play off the page. ​

Your small group will work to realize your writing and artistic goals, which means they’ll look to you to contribute ideas, pose questions, and propose changes! Over the course of the retreat, some skills you may find yourself using include: creativity, communication (written and verbal), reflection, self-advocacy, collaboration, flexibility, generosity, and empathy.