Alexandria Hutton is a senior at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, and her favorite thing to do is write. She honed in on her love for writing through a script writing class she's taking at her school. When she's not writing, you can find her going thrifting to find clothes for her next DIY project, or with her guitar playing songs and making music. Alexandria is very passionate about learning, and doesn't just want to stick to one form of art. She's been taking acting classes for 4 years, and was recently in a play called “Witches!? In Salem?!” by Matt Cox as a witch named Bella Loch. She hopes to keep being inspired to create art, and to continue her passion for learning about it in college.

 

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Edward Baniak IV (Amidst the Ferry Halt playwright). Junior at Quakertown Community High School. Current participant in his school’s theater department and his been involved in performances/experiences including: Dracula (Dracula Understudy; Stage Crew), The Addams Family (Fester Understudy; ensemble), Shakespeare in Love (Shakespeare Understudy; Edmund Tilney), Home Sweet Home: A Murder Mystery, One-Act: Trifles, Shakespeare Festival 2025 (DeSales), Mary Poppins (Bert Understudy; Park Keeper; ensemble), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter), Home Sweet Haunted Home: A Murder Mystery, and the upcoming: Shakespeare Festival 2026 (DeSales) and Chicago (Billy Flynn). Edward also had the chance to present his play to his peers at school this January. He is the Activity Coordinator in the Choir Council at Quakertown. He is a part of the Honors Choir, Varsity Singers, and Acapella Choir. Edward is itching to showcase his play to this audience, and grateful for the opportunity.

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Young playwrights from schools in Bucks County, PA currently in grades 9-12 are invited to submit their original, one-act scripts to the contest. Plays must follow the content and formatting guidelines posted below to be eligible for consideration.

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Submissions are open - see link at bottom of page.

Deadline for script submissions is January 15, 2026.

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Up to four plays will be selected for presentation at the James-Lorah Memorial Home Auditorium Doylestown

on April 11, 2026.

Eligible plays will be read by theatre professionals at a staged reading. Late submissions will not be considered. 

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Submission Guidelines

• Playwrights must be in grades 9-12 at a school in Bucks County, PA

• Plays must be the work of a single writer. Collaborations will not be considered at this time.

• Plays must be original works. Adaptations, or works derived from other stories, or source material, will not be considered.

• Plays can be about any subject, but writers should consider that some language and material may not be suitable for our audience.

• Plays cannot include copyrighted material such as music, song lyrics, poetry, etc.

• Plays should have a running time of 20 minutes or less (approximately 20 typed pages).

 

Script Formatting

• Include a cover page that includes the following information:

  • title of the play

  • playwright’s name

  • playwright's email address

  • parent/guardian name

  • parent/guardian email address

  • school you attend

  • teacher’s name

• Include a brief, one-paragraph synopsis of the play and character list on the page following the cover page:

  • include the name and a brief description of each character that speaks or appears onstage

  • characters that are spoken about but who do not appear onstage should not be included in the character list

• Follow the formatting guidelines recommended by the Dramatists Guild, which can be found linked here. Scripts that do not follow this format may not be considered for production. 

 

What happens if your play is selected?

• All selected playwrights have the opportunity to revise their work prior to the presentation.

• Each selected playwright must attend rehearsals and staged readings of the play at the festival.

• The festival will be held at the James-Lorah Auditorium.

 

How is your play copyrighted?

All work is copyrighted the moment it is created and the writer retains exclusive control of their material. By submitting their work, playwrights agree to allow the Oscar Hammerstein Museum & Theatre Education Center (OHMTEC) to mount a staged reading of the work (if chosen) and for artists from the organization to critique the play. OHMTEC may also publish your script in whole, or in sections, on its website or other marketing materials. All other rights remain the exclusive property of the writer.