By Suzanne Jaszcz:
This weekend young playwrights will converge at Canalside for what is one of the more unique summer festivals being held in Buffalo.
Now in its second year, the Young Playwrights Festival aims to highlight young writers and give them an opportunity to see their plays come to life, being performed before an audience.
The festival is the end result of a play writing competition where young playwrights from around the country submit their works in the hopes to be chosen for the festival. The festival is the brain child of Matt LaChiusa (artistic director of American Repertory Theatre – Facebook) who wanted to create a venue where young writers could get their work seen. Being an artist himself he understood the need to give young writers an opportunity to grow in their craft stating, “Being a playwright I know the frustration of not having one’s work read or, let alone, being fully staged, so the idea came out of the need to create some type of forum for young writers to have the opportunity and forum to present their works. It’s amazing to see these playwrights’ enthusiasm and gratitude for providing the opportunity.”
This year’s featured playwrights are: Matthew Kindley (10 Minutes), Kalani Kaphua (Cut Like a Buffalo), Emily Culter (An Awkward Hookup) and David J. Moran (Mixed Signals). All plays are in the one act format and feature all local actors and directors from the Buffalo theatre community. Returning director Jennifer Fitzery weighs in on why this festival is so important stating, “It gives young writers the opportunity to showcase their work and get feedback and encouragement from seasoned theatre professionals which in turn will give them the tools and the confidence to continue to pursue their passion.”
The performances run Saturday 11am-1pm & Sunday 10am-12pm and will take place on the Dunbar Lawn. It is free of charge with an encouraged donation at the end of the performances. So come out and support young artistic talent in a unique setting and a family friendly environment.
