85% of Aralia Students Place in Top Writing Competitions
1. What is the New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights?
The New Voices One-Act Competition is hosted by YouthPlays, an organization that publishes plays and musicals for schools, youth theatres, universities, community theatres, professional theatres for young audiences, and more. YouthPlays’ mission is to support young writers, creating this friendly, welcoming competition to encourage young writers to create new works for the stage. The New Voices One-Act Competition seeks challenging, entertaining plays and musicals that are appropriate for teen and younger actors and/or audiences, as well as shows that have the potential to cross over to universities or community theatres. If you’re a young playwright in high school, consider submitting your short one-act play to this competition!
2. Eligibility and Rules for the New Voices One-Act Competition
Students may submit unpublished, non-musical one-act plays between 10-40 minutes in length for the New Voices One-Act Competition. There is a 10-page minimum, not counting the title page or cast of characters page. We recommend no more than 35-40 pages.
All genres are accepted, but the subject matter should be appropriate for a high school audience (see more below in “How to Win”). Past winning plays have explored topics such as loss, eating disorders, 9/11, and one play in the absurdist style even involved a family removing a daughter’s heart—so don’t be afraid to push your creativity! All plays should have at least two characters.
All plays must be an individual author’s original work—no collaborative work is allowed. Participants must be 19 or younger by May 1 of the competition year. Each year, students can only submit one play, but they may submit again in subsequent years.
3. Why Submit to the New Voices One-Act Competition?
This competition is a great opportunity for young playwrights, as it is not overly crowded. Additionally, there are limited playwriting competitions available, especially for high school students, making this a rare opportunity. Unlike some writing contests, you won’t be competing with other genres of writing or with participants from different age groups or experience levels.
Why focus on playwriting? There is a significant demand for new plays, as many theaters repeatedly produce older works. This makes playwriting an exciting niche to explore, and colleges and universities are always interested in students with unique hobbies! Whether you are new to the field or have some experience, this competition allows your work to be read by industry professionals. Winning this competition can add credibility to your submissions for productions. Even if you’re not planning on a career in the entertainment industry, winning the New Voices One-Act Competition is a great asset for college admissions.
Another bonus: unlike many contests that have steep entry fees, this competition is free to enter, showing the organization’s genuine interest in discovering and supporting new young talent.
Unlock Your Writing Potential: Students in Our Writing Competition Preparation Class Are More Likely to Secure Awards
4. How to Win the New Voices One-Act Competition
To increase your chances of winning, it’s important to understand the organization hosting the competition: YouthPlays. They curate exceptional plays and musicals tailored for teenage audiences. Review their catalogue and read a few student-written plays under the One-Act Plays section (page 10).
The competition focuses on works designed for a 15-19-year-old audience. Plays that feature one or more youth characters in prominent, age-appropriate roles are strongly recommended. Consider whether your play could be produced at your own high school. If the answer is “no,” it might not be a strong contender. Be prepared to explain your play’s temporal relevance. Why does this play matter now?
While the minimum character count is two, large or flexible casts with more female roles are encouraged. Avoid adding profanity, even if it suits your characters’ backgrounds. The time length minimum isn’t just a benchmark—most past winning plays were longer than 10 minutes, so aim for a longer play.
Finally, carefully follow the contest guidelines and sample play format. Check out these contest-winning tips written by YouthPlays’ cofounder for additional insight.
5. When is the New Voices One-Act Competition?
Submissions open January 1, 2025.
Plays are due May 1, 2025.
6. Prizes
First place winner: $250 cash prize and publication by YouthPlays.
Second place runner-up: $100 cash prize.
7. Prepare with Aralia Education
Start drafting your one-act play with Aralia Education’s Drama Writing Competitions class. Our experienced teachers guide students through complex scriptwriting techniques, providing personalized attention in 1:1 or small group settings. With a team of instructors from the nation’s top private high schools, Aralia Education offers prep school-level instruction. Learn more about how we can help you prepare for the New Voices One-Act Competition!
In this eight-week Drama Writing Competition, students will learn how to create a stage script and create a ten-minute/ten-page script. While developing the narrative and theme, they also consider the needs of the audience and the actors/performers’ needs. By learning a series of visual narrative examples, students will learn how to scriptwriting. We will also review scenes from performance plays and TV shows to understand dialogue, character close-ups, and rhythm (interval and intonation).
