Cape May Stage's Young Playwrights Awards
Calling all New Jersey high school students (grades 9–12)! Cape May Stage wants your original short plays for the 2025 Young Playwrights Awards. Share your story and see your work come to life on stage!
Please review the guidelines below and when you’re ready to apply just click on “Submit Your Play” to get started.
Overview Video
Hear from Cape May Stage’s Producing Artistic Director, Roy Steinberg, about why our new Young Playwrights Awards are so important in today’s world.
Resources
Printable Poster
Click on the image above to view and download a printable PDF poster promoting the Young Playwrights Awards.
Scoring Rubric
Click on the image above to view and download a printable PDF of the scoring rubric for the Young Playwrights Awards.
Contest Schedule
- Submissions Open: October 20, 2025 at 10 am
- Submissions Close: December 19, 2025 at 5 pm
- Winners Announced: February, 2026
- Readings at Cape May Stage: March/April, 2026
Guidelines & Eligibility
- The contest is open to all New Jersey students in grades 9 – 12.
- All plays must be one act and no longer than 10 minutes.
- All plays must have between one and four characters.
- All entries must include a cover page with your name, school, email address, and phone number.
- The script must be written for stage presentation. Musicals, screenplays, teleplays, or adaptations of another author’s work will not be accepted.
- Scripts must be submitted as a Portable Document Format (.pdf) attachment via the submission form.
- Scripts should be formatted with page numbers in the footer.
- Font should be 12pt standard (Times New Roman) or equivalent.
- Please name your script as follows: LastName-FirstName_2025
- No more than one script per person.
- Original work only, No AI: Submissions must be entirely your own work. AI-generated scripts or plagiarism are not allowed.
- Plays should be age-appropriate for high school audiences. No graphic violence, sexual content or other explicit material.
Prizes
Winners of the Young Playwrights Awards will receive cash prizes in recognition of their outstanding work. The first-place winner will be awarded $500, the second-place winner will receive $250, and the third-place winner will earn $100. In addition to the cash prizes, the top three plays will be featured in a staged reading at Cape May Stage, giving young playwrights the exciting opportunity to work with a professional director and actors to see their words come to life on stage.
All students who submit a play will get a downloadable certificate recognizing their creativity and participation in the Young Playwrights Awards.
Playwriting Prompts
These 10-minute playwriting prompts are meant to spark your imagination and help you get started, but don’t feel limited—any topic that excites you or tells a story you care about is welcome. Your play can be funny, heartfelt, mysterious, or completely unexpected!
Personal Growth & Friendship
- A teen discovers a hidden talent that changes how they see themselves.
- A student confronts their fears in a school performance competition.
- Two friends face a misunderstanding that tests the strength of their bond.
- Two friends attempt a prank that goes hilariously wrong.
Mental Health & Well-being
- A teen battles anxiety while preparing for a big audition or presentation.
- A student supports a friend struggling with depression and learns about empathy.
- A teenager challenges societal beauty standards through self-expression.
Science Fiction & Fantasy
- A teen travels to the future and must find a way back before missing an important moment.
- A student builds an AI companion that begins to challenge their understanding of humanity.
- Teen explorers encounter a mysterious phenomenon in their town.
- A magical object in the school library changes a student’s life for a day.
Family & Community
- Siblings compete for recognition but learn to work together.
- A teenager navigates the impact of parental divorce with humor and heart.
- A grandparent and grandchild bond over uncovering family history.
- A neighborhood secret brings a group of friends together.
Frequently Asked Questions
When the contest opens, the submission form will be posted to this web page. All plays must be submitted through this online portal.
Once the online contest form has been submitted, you will receive an email confirmation of your entry. This confirmation will be delivered to the email address you provide in the form.
Cape May Stage has assembled a committee of professional playwrights, directors, actors, educators, and industry professionals to read and judge these plays. This includes: Michael Basile, Jeremy Konopka, John Drechen, Marlena Lustik, Kate Hathaway, Kenya Jackson, Chase Jackson, Hans Friedrichs, Roy Steinberg, Wendy Collins, Denise Shutter, and Kylie Emmons.
After all winners have been notified, the contest prize winners will be published to the contest page in February 2026.
Yes. As long as you are studying at the 9-12 grade level and reside in New Jersey you are eligible for the contest.
No, all plays must stay within the 10 minute guideline, which is a maximum of 10 pages (1 page equals approximately 1 minute).
Yes, but only if both writers are in 9-12 grade in a New Jersey high school. Prizes are not awarded per person but would be shared among the writers. Only one student author should submit the co-authored play; additional details for both author’s personal and school information can be provided on a separate page in the PDF file of your play submission.
No, plays on any subject will be accepted.
You, the writer of the play.
The plays submitted must be written in English.
No, all entries must be submitted online on the contest page.
If you are selected as one of the top three submissions, you will be notified by Cape May Stage in February, 2026. At that time, we will coordinate with you to showcase your play as part of our 2026 Reading Series at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse located in Cape May, NJ.
Please send any questions to info@capemaystage.org.
By submitting a script to the Young Playwrights Awards, the playwright grants Cape May Stage the exclusive option to showcase the play as part of the 2026 Reading Series. Active involvement in the rehearsal process and attendance at the reading are essential to Cape May Stage’s mission. Therefore, submission of a script constitutes the playwright’s acknowledgment that they will, barring unforeseen circumstances, participate in the afternoon rehearsal and attend the performance if their play is selected. The readings for winning submissions will take place in March/April, 2026. The exact date(s) will be determined and announced in early 2026.