Young Playwrights Project

Since 1995, the Vermont Stage Young Playwrights Project (VSYPP) has initiated over 5,000 middle and high school students into the world of dramatic writing. Professional playwrights conduct two- or three-day residencies for up twenty students. Over the course of the residency, each student writes and develops an original script through a process that includes in-class performance and peer critique, as well as oral and written response from the visiting playwright.

Each year, the Vermont Stage Young Playwrights Project culminates in a two-day festival of new plays, workshops, and special performances. Over the course of these two days first-time playwrights get to see their work brought to life by theatre professionals in front of an audience of their friends, peers and members of their community.

In November of 2004 the Vermont Stage Young Playwrights Project was the recipient of a New England Theatre Conference (NETC) Regional Award for Outstanding Achievement in the American Theatre.

What is the Vermont Stage Young Playwrights Project?

Now in its 14th year, the Vermont Stage Young Playwright’s Project is Vermont Stage Company’s education outreach program. Created by playwright Dana Yeaton in 1995, the goal of VSYPP is to introduce middle and high school students to the art of playwriting through a series of in-school residencies with professional playwrights.

How does VSYPP work?

When a school decides to participate in VSYPP, a professional playwright is sent to the school for a 2- or 3-day residency. On the first day, the playwright works with a group of up to 20 students, introducing them, through a series of exercises and writing prompts, to the fundamentals of playwriting. By the end of the first day, students are ready to write their own 10-minute play. Several weeks later, on the 2nd day, the playwright returns to facilitate readings and feedback for the first draft of the students’ scripts. The students are encouraged to make revisions and then asked to submit a final script to the faculty member facilitating the program.

Three plays are chosen from each participating school to be highlighted at the annual festival:

Featured Play: This student’s play will be given a 90-minute rehearsal with a professional director and actors and then presented as a staged reading in a public performance.
Finalist Play: This student’s play will be given a cold reading by professional actors in a workshop setting, followed by feedback from the audience.
Honorable Mention: This student’s play will be noted in the festival program.

What happens at the VSYPP Festival?

The festival is an opportunity for students from all over the state to come together and spend a day with each other and professional actors, directors, and playwrights further exploring various aspects of playwriting and performance. Students are invited to participate in workshops, play readings and feedback sessions, and performances by theatre professionals. The centerpiece of each day is the staged reading of each of the featured plays, presented by professional VSC directors and actors.

In 2008 the VSYPP Festival will be held on May 12th and 13th at the Royall Tyler Theatre, UVM, Burlington, Vermont.

Cost

Two-day Residency: $850
Three-day Residency: $1,100

Fee includes participation at the Festival.

2006-2007 Participating Schools:

Williston Central School
Middlebury Union High School
St. Johnsbury Academy
Rock Point School
Twinfield Union School
North Country Union High School (2 Classes)
Georgia Middle School
Christ the King School
Thetford Academy
Spaulding High School
Lothrup School
Rochester High School
Burr and Burton Academy
Hazen Union High School
Bellow Free Academy St. Albans
Champlain Valley Union High School
Hannaford Career Center
Peoples Academy

For more information about VSYPP or to register please email Vermont Stage Company at vtstage@vtstage.org .

VSYPP Staff

Chuck Meese (VYSPP Managing Director)

Chuck Meese is the artistic director and writer for The Red Wing Puppet Theater. 2007 marks his 30th year as a professional puppeteer. He spent 20 years working with the internationally acclaimed Bread And Puppet Theater and also performs with the Boston based Puppeteers Co-operative. Chuck has appeared in Vermont Stage productions of Mad River Rising and Woody Guthrie’s American Song as well as acting and directing at The Vermont Stage Young Playwrights Festival. He has been the technical director and production manager for the Governors Institute On The Arts for the past 20 years.

Maura Campbell (VSYPP Artistic Director)

Maura Campbell is a playwright, director and producer whose work has been staged both regionally and abroad. Recent productions include Self Evidence, winner of the 2005 Vermont Playwright Award, and Final Jeopardy, winner of the American Contemporary Award. She teaches creative writing through the long distance degree program at Burlington College and is currently enrolled as an MFA in Playwriting student at Hollins University.