Front Row (from left to right): James Greer, Katelynn Mitchell, Bethanie Haga, Madelyn Tolbert, Loren Watson, Angelina Fitzgerald, Wyatt Peters, Ashley Bobbitt and Makayla Tobler Back Row (from lef
Barter Theatre’s 21st Annual Young Playwrights Festival took place Nov. 14, with two performances in the morning at Gilliam Stage for over 800 students, and a public evening performance also at Barter’s Gilliam Stage.
The 2022 festival included 286 plays written by 413 playwrights from 11 high schools in Virginia and Tennessee. Since its inception in 2002, Barter’s Young Playwrights Festival has included over 4,600 plays and over 6,900 playwrights.
2022’s first-place winner is "Beginning," written by Ashely Bobbitt and Victoria Arnder from Carroll County High School, whose teacher is Makayla Tobler.
The second-place winner is "The Standoff," written by Wyatt Peters, whose teacher is Seth Grindstaff.
Third place is "Mime Your Business," written by Angelina Fitzgerald from West Ridge High School, whose teacher is Seth Grindstaff.
The Honorable Mention plays, in no particular order, are: "Mafiosos" by James Greer, Marion Senior High School, Teacher: Todd Necessary; "The Current" by Katelynn Mitchell, West Ridge High School, Teacher: Seth Grindstaff; "The Duel" by Bethanie Haga, West Ridge High School, Teacher: Seth Grindstaff; "Tony’s Dream" by Madelyn Tolbert, Northwood High School, Teacher: David Burns; and "From Hereafter" by Loren Watson, Elizabethton High School, Teacher: Sara Hardin.
The Young Playwrights Festival is an annual event that cultivates and celebrates the talent of high school students. The purpose of this Festival is to encourage the development of students' writing skills and creativity, with the added benefit of discovering talented playwrights in the region.
