In February, 174 high school students from across Virginia submitted their one-act plays for consideration in the 31st annual New Voices for the Theater Playwriting Competition. 34 volunteer readers from across the community scored plays, and we’re proud to announce the top 20 students whose plays are being considered for the final 8 spots in the New Voices 2020 program.
Congratulations to the 2020 New Voices for the Theater Finalists:
A Love Letter by Sofie Anderson
Glen Allen High School
Red Butterfly by Jayden-Huynh-Vying
Glen Allen High School
Forgetting by Cara Hadden
Chancellor High School
Imagine by Lucy Caudle
Maggie Walker Governor’s School
Off the Grid by Marshall Addo
Eastern View High School
The Sun Cried Anagnorisis by Sam Bynum
Eastern View High School
An Awkward Mess by Trevor Handlin
Lloyd C. Bird High School
Abstract by Casseah Northern
C.D. Hylton High School
Blood Architect by Charles Perry
York County School of the Arts
An Awakened Ignorance by Himagowri Prasad
York County School of the Arts
Just Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman
by Yunseo Chung
York County School of the Arts
Hey Diddle Diddle by Ava Scott
York County School of the Arts
Boys Like Us by Aaron Tyler
Appomattox Regional Governor’s School of the Performing Arts
Mini Mart by Syerra Joyner
Appomattox Regional Governor’s School of the Performing Arts
December, 1961 by Elaine Arrington
Loudoun County High School
My Side by Alexandra Gronski
Salem High School
A Mother’s Past by Tijon Albritton
Salem High School
Featherweight by Katheryn Sherrill
The Governor’s School of the Arts
Shattered Eclipse by Laura Rodriguez-Sierra
The Governor’s School of the Arts
23:10 by Alexander Pierce
Jamestown High School
The eight winning playwrights will be announced soon!
Playwright-in-Residence, Jami Brandli, will select the winning eight plays and, through an online playwriting workshop, will work individually with eight student playwrights as they develop their plays.
Their work will prepare them for the second phase of the program in which professional directors will use a virtual rehearsal room to guide an ensemble in a reading of the student playwrights’ plays for the 31st annual Festival of New Works.
Stay connected to New Voices and find out more information about the Festival of New Works through SPARC’s social media platforms.
New Voices for the Theater is made possible by a grant from:
E. RHODES AND LEONA B. CARPENTER FOUNDATION
Additional support provided by:
Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, R.E.B. Foundation, Virginia Commission for Arts, and The National Endowment for the Arts
Photo by Tom Topinka