FST Announces Winners of Annual Youth Playwriting Competition

March 30, 2022 – Sarasota

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is proud to announce the winning plays of this year’s annual youth playwriting competition. Now in its 31st year, FST’s WRITE A PLAY program is an arts-in-education initiative, providing students with the example, the inspiration, and the skills to write their own original plays. Over the course of the 2021-2022 academic year, FST received submissions from almost 4,600 playwrights.

Thanks to generous support from individual donors and foundational support from organizations like the Community Foundation of Sarasota and the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, WRITE A PLAY continues to inspire the next generation of playwrights. 

For the first time since 2019, the WRITE A PLAY experience will culminate on Florida Studio Theatre’s five-theatre campus with Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) Day, an annual celebration of children’s imagination and creativity. On Saturday, May 14, participating students, teachers, and families from across the state of Florida will come together to enjoy live performances of the year’s winning plays brought to life by professional actors. This year’s compilation of winning plays is titled The Grandma That Eats Everything & Other Winning Plays. Following these live performances, playwrights are honored in an awards ceremony and are presented with certificates and medals on stage. The 2022 Young Playwrights Festival Day is a private event, reserved for the winning playwrights, their families, and teachers who participated in this year’s WRITE A PLAY program.

“There is nothing on earth like the excitement and joy these young playwrights experience when they see something they wrote—something from their imagination brought to life—on stage,” said Adam Ratner, FST’s Young Playwrights Festival Coordinator and Lead Teaching Artist. “The courage it takes to share their creativity is so important. After two difficult and trying years, we are all finally able to come together with friends, family, and the community to celebrate the plays of these amazing young artists. Theatre is an art that is meant to be shared in a live environment with others. The fact that it is possible to do so again for the 2022 Young Playwrights Festival is a dream come true.”  

A full list of the winning plays and playwrights who will be recognized at this year’s YPF Day follows the end of this release. For more information about FST’s WRITE A PLAY program, please contact FST’s WRITE A PLAY Coordinator, Shelby Lynhall, at SLynhall@floridastudiotheatre.org.

2021-2022 Winning Plays and Playwrights (Grades K-6)

All Signs Point to Friendship by Lila Freymann 

Bay Haven School of Basics Plus (Sarasota County), Mrs. Fancher—3rd Grade

The Bucket Filler and the Bucket Dipper by Kensington Kotuby and Madison Thomas

Ashton Elementary (Sarasota County), Mrs. Kreger—1st Grade

The Flame of Age by Mr. Saldivar and Mrs. Hall’s 3^rd Grade Class

Tuttle Elementary (Sarasota County)

Going Fishing by Connor Haag

Bradenton Christian School (Manatee County), Mrs. Hurles—4th Grade

Kids Can’t Teach by Mallory Boudreaux 

Bradenton Christian School (Manatee County), Mrs. Hurles—4th Grade

The Last Acorn by Emma Bernardi

Island Village Montessori School (Sarasota County), Ms. Debbie and Ms. Anne—3rd Grade

Phone Problem by John Rivera

Holy Name School (Camden, NJ), Ms. Steiner—4th Grade

The Sad Penguin by Jamie Hinck

Pine View School (Sarasota County), Ms. Williams—3rd Grade

Talk to the Hand by Kaleen Callahan, Annabelle Froelich, and Leeann Lukan

Island Village Montessori School (Sarasota County), Ms. Amy—4th Grade

What Lies in the Ancient Swamp by Gianna Best, Danielle Chuc, Logan Dennis, Ayden Fejzic, Payton Hirst, Lily Kis, Sophia Lewellen, Isabell Nese, Nicole Rojas, Kade Roth, Trey Teteak, and Lukas Willhoite

Ascension Lutheran School (Sarasota County), Ms. Anklam– 5th & 6th Grade

2021-2022 Winning Plays and Playwrights (Grades 7-12)

Broccoli! by Lucas Hutches 

Manatee School for the Arts (Manatee County), Mr. Bajjaly—6th Grade

Chronicles of Cindernat and the Three Musketeers by Anna, Annabella, Blaze, Caleb, John, Kameron, Kevin, Mark, Mike, Natalie, and Nick

The Haven (Sarasota County), Mr. John—Various Grades

The Music Man by Leandro Nieves

Holy Name School (Camden, NJ), Mr. Carroll—8th Grade

Only Imagine by Maddie Holdway

Booker Middle School (Sarasota County), Ms. Mills—8th Grade

Spark of Light by Estella Viers

Booker Middle School (Sarasota County), Ms. Mills—8th Grade

A True Friendship by Lihi Cohen

Shelanu School (Tel Mond, Israel), Bar Bracha Menashe—6th Grade

Vending Machine Envy by Jacob Ranke and Logan Ranke 

Braden River High School (Manatee County), Mr. Robinson-Shinall—10th & 12th Grade

Win-Win by Matrick Thorpe

Pine View School (Sarasota County), Mrs. O’Mahony—9th Grade