THE GINNY PARKER
Young Playwrights Festival
Every year Syracuse Stage invites Central New York high school students to write original ten-minute plays and other performance pieces for entry into our annual Young Playwrights Festival contest. Our panel of theatre and literary professionals evaluates each student's play. Semifinalists are invited to attend a writing workshop with Syracuse Stage where their plays will be read and critiqued. Finalists will see their plays performed as staged readings by Syracuse University Drama Students.
January 1: Play acceptance begins
February 10: Submissions due
March 28: Writing workshop
April 28: Young Playwrights Festival
2025 WINNERS
Front Row (L to R): Lucas Chiorini, Judah Eglash, Zinira Izmir, Astro Johnson. Back Row (L to R): Udochukwu Okereke, Jaden Sistrunk, Zoe Seppi, Evan Wagner-Flynn, Grey Milligan. Photo: Candice Bermudez.
GINNY PARKER
Since 1999, Syracuse Stage has invited local high school students to explore the often unknown and deeply rewarding world of playwriting through the Young Playwrights Festival. This unique program encourages students to dive into themes and topics that reflect their own experiences, passions, and challenges—offering a platform for self-expression, creativity, and personal growth. For many, it’s their first opportunity to discover the power of storytelling and see their voices brought to life on stage. Over the years, more than 10,000 students have produced original works that have sparked meaningful conversations, reflected diverse perspectives, and showcased the incredible talent and insight of Central New York’s next generation of writers and thinkers.
As both an educator and a passionate supporter of the arts, the Young Playwrights Festival beautifully reflects two of Ginny’s greatest loves. In honor of her lasting impact, we invite you to help us establish a fund to name this inspiring program after her.
2026 YPF QUOTABLE PLAYWRIGHT
Lynn Nottage
LYNN NOTTAGE
(born November 2, 1964) is an American playwright whose work often focuses on the experience of working-class people, particularly working-class people who are black. She has received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice: in 2009 for her play Ruined, and in 2017 for her play Sweat. She was the first (and remains the only) woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama two times.
Leanne Best, Martha Plimpton and Clare Perkins in Sweat at Donmar Warehouse, London. Photograph: Johan Persson.
