Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival names student winners, announces fundraiser production

The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival has selected four student playwrights from Riverside County schools as winners of its ninth annual competition, with their works set to be performed at the Palm Springs Cultural Center on June 7.

Each winning playwright will receive a $500 scholarship, professional mentorship, and a public staged reading of their play performed by professional actors and directors.

The four winning plays are “The Author Behind the Happily Ever After,” written by Allana Beckman of Valley View High School in Moreno Valley; “The Rats of Broadway,” written by Jason Bulanek of Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley; “Look at Me, I Exist,” written by Ryleigh Sanchez of Valley View High School in Moreno Valley; and “Mermaid Story,” written by Carleigh Rios of Martin Luther King High School in Riverside.

This year’s mentor is Greg Cope White, co-executive producer of Netflix’s “Boots,” who will guide the students through the process of finalizing their plays ahead of the June 7 festival.

The staged readings will begin at 12 p.m. at the Cultural Center. Casting is currently underway, with performers to be announced in May. Tickets are $10 and available at zeffy.com.

Bent Theatre in Palm Springs will provide an additional $500 scholarship for a winning play with an LGBTQ+ theme, in keeping with its mission to support LGBTQIA+ communities.

“We were truly impressed by both the volume and caliber of plays submitted this year,” said David Youse, executive director of the festival. “Entries represented a wide range of grade levels. Selecting the four winners was no easy task, and we’re thrilled with the final choices. We look forward to collaborating with these talented young playwrights and congratulate all the students who participated.”

Before the June festival, PSYPF will hold a three-night fundraising event featuring a production of “FEAR,” an award-winning play by Matt Williams, the creator of “Roseanne” and “Home Improvement.” Performances are scheduled for May 14, 15 and 16 at the Cathedral Canyon Business Park, 35688 Cathedral Canyon Dr.

The production will take place in a warehouse space, with limited seating placing the audience close to the action. Desert Theatre League Award winners Chuck Yates and David Youse star in the play, which is directed by DTL Award winner Keith Hoffman. Sierra Barrick will serve as stage manager.

“FEAR” was originally honored with five Desert Theatre League Awards for its staged reading and is now being presented as a fully realized production.

Each evening will begin with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 6:30 p.m., followed by the performance at 7:30 p.m. A light dinner and community gathering will follow the show. Tickets are available online here.

“As we enter our ninth year, PSYPF continues to grow because of this community’s belief in young voices,” Youse said. “FEAR is more than a performance — it’s an opportunity to experience powerful theatre while directly investing in the next generation of storytellers right here in our own backyard.”

The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival is a nonprofit that promotes theatrical creative writing among elementary, middle and high school students throughout Riverside County, in partnership with the Riverside County Office of Education. For more information, visit psypf.org.

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