Pegasus Theatre Chicago Announces 33rd Young Playwrights Festival

Pegasus Theatre Chicago has announced the authors and plays presented at the 33rd Young Playwrights Festival, January 8 - 25, 2020 at The Courtyard Theatre in The Getz Theater Center at Columbia College, 72 E. 11th St. The productions are performed in tandem Wednesdays - Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. Additional matinee performances will be added for groups, call the box office for best schedule of group matinee and school performances. Opening night is Friday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18 for students, $25 for seniors and $30 for general admission and are available at PegasusTheatreChicago.org or by phone at 773.878.8864.

The Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) celebrates the 33rd year of the program that inspires Chicago students to explore their histories, research their communities and mine their personal journeys to write dynamic one-act plays for the stage. The competition enhances language arts, encourages independent, high-level thinking, strong personal values and influences career development for Chicago's teens.

The 2020 Festival includes full productions of winning plays from the annual playwriting competition for high-school-age scribes in Chicago. Three one-act plays are professionally produced by Pegasus Theatre Chicago. The second oldest such festival in the country, this annual tradition regularly receives more than 500 submissions from Chicago area teens. From those, the winning playwrights are chosen to connect, workshop and produce their production with professional artists.

The 33rd YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL includes:

Public In Private by Angelina Davila - Taft High School

directed by Juan Ramirez

Lucie is struggling to get into an art college, but is sidetracked by her brother's problems and her mother's lack of support.

Clause 42 by Henry Williams - Lane Tech Academy

directed by Jason Fleece

George dies and is wrongly sent to the afterlife of a weird cult-like religion and is faced with the prospect of being judged by their ridiculous rules.

Cobalt by Reba Brennan - Senn High School

directed by Ilesa Duncan

Vee, a shy 18-year old, seeks solace and adventure on a friend's couch as an escape from family dysfunction.

The cast for the productions includes Tina El Gamal, Peter Gertas, LiSean McElrath, Izis Mollinedo, Sarah Schol, Destiny Strothers and Austyn Williamson.

The production team includes Alyssa Mohn, scenic design; Josh Wroblewski, lighting design; Rebecca Holcomb, costume design; Steve Labedz, sound design; Dominique Zaragoza, props design; Manny Ortiz, technical director; Kevin Rolfs, scenic charge; Liz Gomez, master electrician and Kelly Butler, production manager.