At the troupe level, I supervise a production of student-written, student-directed one-acts every year - we just staged the 35th edition last month. This gives our budding playwrights a laboratory where they can actually see their works come to life, experimenting with re-writes during rehearsals and even after the production closes. When some of our students enter the Playwriting category at our district and state Thespian festivals, it's often after they've given their scripts a practical test-drive. I can't claim credit for this show's existence; it was started by students, and the first year they came to us and asked to do it, my then-co-director and I said no, because we didn't think that they could do it. But a little later, they came back to us with a stack of workable scripts, so we gave the green light ... and here we are today. I've never been happier for students to have proved me wrong, and it just goes to show what students can do when you quit telling them what they can't do. I love the chance this show gives me to read young people's work, and to help them grow in the artform.
I promote the Blank Theatre's Young Playwrights Festival (theblank.com/ypf) to my students. It's a great opportunity for student writers.
Some of the programs my students used to submit to don't exist anymore, and some others that I'm aware of only accept submissions from students in their immediate areas, so I'd love to build my list of festivals and competitions that accept entries nationwide. Hope others will contribute here.
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Jeff Grove
Theatre Teacher, Aesthetics Department Chair
Stanton College Prep
FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-28-2026 16:04
From: James DeVivo
Subject: Thespian PlayWorks
Student playwriting is my specific area of interest in educational theatre. For 25 years, I've been supporting student voices through the development and management of young playwrights programs and coaching young creators in all aspects of theatre. It's been a privilege to develop these programs throughout New Jersey and to gather information about similar opportunities worldwide on my site, The Young Playwrights Guide. The upcoming year will be my third as chair of Thespian PlayWorks for New Jersey and I'm interested in connecting with directors and board members who lead this initiative in other states. I would also like to know to what p[aywriting festivals your students may submit their work outside of Thespians. Please comment below, or feel free to reach out directly.
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Jim DeVivo, Ph.D.
Theatre Teacher & Director at WR Satz School / Holmdel High School
Board Member at NJ Thespians
Board Member at Oscar Hammerstein Museum & Theatre Education Center
Producer at the Young Playwrights Guide & Stargazer Performing Arts
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