Sophia Ross performs during the Young Playwrights Festival. The Ensemble Theatre Company is now accepting applications
for its next festival.
SANTA BARBARA — Ensemble Theatre Company is now accepting applications for its Sixth Annual Young Playwrights’ Festival for aspiring writers, ages 14-19.
As part of the Santa Barbara organization’s festival, participants will develop a 10-minute play that is presented with professional directors and actors for a public audience.
This free program will accept up to 20 students from Santa Barbara County. The deadline to apply is Dec. 15. To do so, go to etcsb.org/education/young-playwrights-festival.
Students in the playwrights program will receive varied opportunities to develop their creativity. Phase One includes weekly classroom instruction focusing on playwriting techniques, a brief history of American theater, and a discussion of students’ works. By the end of this first phase, students will have completed a draft of a 10-minute play.
Phase Two provides one-on-one mentoring from a professional playwright to guide students through the revision process. This stage results in the final draft of their play.
In Phase Three, students explore the final steps in the theatrical process by participating in a casting session and learning how to collaborate with theater directors and actors. This will culminate in a festival of staged readings of the students’ plays on stage at The New Vic.
— Dave Mason
