Preparations underway

Preparations for the Festival are well underway! Casting is nearly complete and as we head into May, we hope to have some initial conversations with our high school playwrights in advance of the first read through on May 21.

NJYPF now on Facebook

The New Jersey Young Playwrights Festival now has a page on Facebook. Come check us out!
(be sure to spell out New Jersey when searching for us!)

Winning plays for the 2011 New Jersey Young Playwrights Festival

Now that all of the winning playwrights and those receiving Honorable Mention have been contacted, I am happy to announce to you the winning plays/playwrights of the 2011 NJ Young Playwrights Festival.

High School Division

• For the Sake of America: A Story of Patriotism by Sam Gelman, 11th grade, The Pingry School
• Yesterday by Michelle Cheripka, 11th grade, Bergen County Academies
• The Prologue to After by Jenna Postiglione, 10th grade, The Peddie School
• Wacky Wednesday by Justine DeSilva, 11th grade, Bergen County Academies

Junior HS Division

• Cellar Door by Ryan Kelly, 9th grade, Union County Academy for Performing Arts
• Mozart's Silhouette by Joy Ho, 8th grade, Columbia Middle School, Berkeley Heights
• Winter Sun by Rachel Skerker, 8th grade, Columbia Middle School, Berkeley Heights

Elementary Division

• There's Nothing to Do! by Finn Gannon, 4th grade, St. Vincent Martyr School, Madison
• The Easy World by Elizabeth Kilgore, 4th grade, St. Vincent Martyr School, Madison
• The Wizard's Candy by Caroline Hoerner, 6th grade, Chatham Middle School

Rewrites Division

• No play selected this year.

Podstages Division

• No play selected this year.

Honorable Mention

• Race by Emma Q. Baxter, 6th grade, Randolph Middle School
• Time is Fleeting by Casey Murphy, 9th grade, Union County Academy for Performing Arts
• Happy Days by Lacey Davies, 11th grade, Bergen County Academies
• Writer's Iris by Molly Kirschner, 11th grade, Bergen County Academies

All plays were selected without knowledge of playwrights' schools or grade. Judges were not provided with any of the playwrights' information.

Congratulations to all of our playwrights! The winning plays will be presented at the 2011 NJ Young Playwrights Festival on May 23 (Junior HS and Elementary) and May 24 (High School) in the University Center Little Theatre @ Kean University in Union, NJ. Both performances are at 10:00 a.m.

Readers are currently making the finishing touches on their written critiques. It is my hope to have those out to you within 4 weeks time.

Thanks again to everyone who wrote and submitted a play. Please stay tuned to this blog to follow the Festival process.