In 2018, while working at Playhouse on the Square, I launched Play Slam!, a 10-minute playwriting competition and festival. This was made possible by working with the American Alliance for Theatre and Education’s (AATE) Playwrights for Change program and later funded by International Paper.
What started with 34 submissions from 7 middle schools grew to include high school students and by year 4 we had totaled working with 185 students in the Mid-South area. The program is currently in its sixth season and has been joined with Playhouse’s New Works program.
Over the four years I oversaw the program, I directed 27 of the 36 staged readings and 5 of the 6 winning productions which saw the winners scripts staged with costumes, lights, sets, and sound.
In Year 2, the middle school winning script, Brave, by Appling Middle School student Lauryn Bonds, went on to win AATE’s Young Playwrights for Change competition in 2020.
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Middle School Theme: “DISCOVERING THE TRUTH ABOUT OURSELVES AND OTHERS”
In the inaugural year, we received 34 submissions from 7 Mid-South (TN, MS, AR) middle schools.
We performed readings of 4 finalists and 1 honorable mention scripts and presented a full staging of the winning script.
2018-2019 Winner: Dear Henry, by Zoe Vales
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Middle School Theme: “TAKE A STAND”
HIGH School Theme: “THE WORLD TODAY”
In the second year, we expanded the program to include a high school division. We received 67 submissions from 11 Mid-South schools.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned Spring 2020 festival was delayed until Fall 2020 and the festival was moved online and we recorded readings of all the finalists and winners.
2019-2020 M.S. Winner: Brave by Lauryn Bonds*
2019-2020 H.S. Winner- The Rwenzori in Africa by Emily Roper
*Lauryn Bonds play, Brave, went on to win AATE’s Young Playwrights for Change national competition.
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Middle School Theme: “NO ONE IS ALONE”
HIGH School Theme: “RISE UP!”
In the third year, we received 31 submissions from 10 Mid-South schools.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-2021 festival was combined with the 2021-2022 festival.
2020-2021 M.S. Winner: See You in the Morning by Harper Steinmetz
2020-2021 H.S. Winner- Zero Tolerance by Anaya Murray
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Middle & High School Theme: “WHAT HOPE LOOKS LIKE”
For this year, AATE expanded their Young Playwrights for Change program to include a High School and Adult division so we were able to submit our high school scripts to this competition. AATE’s program was rebranded as the Playwrights for Change.
In the fourth year, we received 51 submissions from 11 Mid-South schools.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-2021 festival was combined with the 2021-2022 festival.
2021-2022 M.S. Winner: Hope is Awake by Addie Scoggins
2021-2022 H.S. Winner- Arm in Arm by MJ Learned
