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Young Playwrights Festival

For Students

Each year, the Young Playwrights Festival cultivates and celebrates the creativity and talent of high school students. The Festival has the added benefit of helping to discover the next generation of Appalachian playwrights, storytellers and creative professionals.

For Educators

Participating teachers attend playwriting pedagogy workshops during which playwriting professionals give them the tools to teach playwriting to their students.

For Our Community

At Barter, we believe in the power of stories, and, with live performances for both schools and the public, classmates and community members get the chance to see student voices take center stage.

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What Teachers and Students Have Said

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“YPF is the most organized and beneficial event I have experienced in my 22 years as a teacher and why I will continue to participate each year until I retire. Because it is so organized and special-- students also find that appealing-- they pick up on the fact that Barter has gone to great lengths to set them up for success-- equipping teachers with everything they need to know, providing a free event for them to attend and simply acknowledging their talents -- they discover the worth in participating because Barter is letting them know ‘We see you and you matter.’ It is an event that is all about them.”

Sara Hardin, Elizabethton High School Teacher
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“None of the students think they can win when they start, so opportunities like the YPF help students believe in their skills. (A teacher can tell them all day long that they are quality writers, but until they see their work succeed in public, they usually don’t believe it.) The competition becomes many students' first encounter with writing success outside of the classroom.
Success goes beyond Barter also. For the past two years, the local newspaper and local radio station has come to our school to interview winners and honorable mentions. Most of my students are not athletes, so this is their first chance to feel a part of the large community, by getting their picture in the paper and newspaper website. They will remember these moments as highlights of their high school career.”

Seth Grindstaff, West Ridge High School Teacher
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“[YPF] is an excellent opportunity for aspiring writers to experiment with a new format, challenge their current skills, and receive critical feedback from professionals.”

Student, Honorable Mention (2023)
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“I got more recognition from the YPF than I ever would have dreamed of.”

Student, Honorable Mention (2023)
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“[YPF] taught me to take chances and be more vulnerable.”

Student, 2nd Place Winner (2023)
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“One of a kind.”

Student, Honorable Mention (2023)
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“. . . an opportunity I will look back on and be forever grateful for.”

Student, Honorable Mention (2023)

YPF 2026

The top three plays from the 2025 Young Playwrights Festival will be read again on Sunday March 1, 2026 at 2pm at Barter’s Smith Theatre! Combined with Barter’s College Playwrights Festival (CPF), the high school playwrights will have the opportunity to develop their plays further with professional Barter artists as well as attend workshops and meet professional playwrights.

We are excited to welcome audiences for our 25th Annual Young Playwrights Festival! The performances of the top 6 plays will be staged, Reader’s Theatre style, by The Barter Players. Participating schools can join us for our morning performance and awards ceremony at 10:00 AM on October 26, 2026 at Gilliam Stage.

YPF Submission Guidelines

Teachers must attend at least one workshop in which Barter professionals give them the tools for teaching playwriting to their students.

After receiving classroom instruction on playwriting, students develop plays and submit them to a select group of Barter professionals for feedback and critique. The plays are not to exceed 10 minutes in length.

To participate in future YPFs, please email svandeusen@bartertheatre.com

At the Festival

3 honorable mentions plays will be given readings while the top 3 plays will be given lightly staged performances.

What Winners Receive

Writers of the top three plays receive cash prizes and a mentoring session with a Barter professional, which allows the students to have valuable one-on-one time with experts in the fields of theater and playwriting.

Teachers of the top three winning plays will receive two tickets to any play of the 2027 Barter Season.

Winners work with Barter professionals to enhance and or lengthen their plays. Awards are presented each year to the winning students and schools.

Thank You To Our YPF Sponsors

Crutchfield Corporation

The Mooneyhan Family Foundation

YPF is also partially funded by Larry & Leanna Mitchell and The Woolwine Family.

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