Fourteenth Annual Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival

Which of these eight young playwrights will be awarded the $1,000 Verna Safran Prize at this year’s Festival? Come see them onstage in the Kiwanis Theatre at Manatee Performing Arts Center, May 2-3. Get your tickets.

Meet the Playwrights

The Astronaut Blues

Two girls in a high school program for producing future astronauts debate the idea of college and how to find happiness after high school. For Lana, school no longer provides the happiness she found as a child.

Ilania Avery is a junior in the Creative Writing department at Harrison School for the Arts (Lakeland). She participates in Lakeland High School’s swim team, girl’s weightlifting team, and is a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo. She spends her free time writing, practicing Taekwondo, and working out. She enjoys books like As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, as well as anime similar to Deathnote, written by  Tsugumi Ohba. Her father is her greatest role model.

Forgotten

19-year-old Joan develops a metastatic brain tumor. Her longtime boyfriend, Simon, stays by her side, and twin brother Casey constantly checks on her. But as Joan’s tumor progresses, she slowly loses her memories.

Maliah Anderson-Black — I am a junior in the theatre department at Harrison School for the Arts (Lakeland). I had the opportunity to create this play in my playwriting class under the guidance of my teacher, Joshua McKinney. After high school, I plan to attend college for nursing and join the Navy Nurse Corps. I am forever grateful to have been selected, and this experience has inspired me to continue writing plays.

Two Minutes To Go

Kenny is dipping his toe into the dating pool by attending a university-hosted “All Ages Speed Dating”. But making a good impression isn’t as easy as it seems. Kenny perseveres through a series of oddball two-minute dates, hoping to meet his soulmate.

Norah Courtright is 16 years old and a senior at East River High School (Orlando), planning to major in Writing & Rhetoric in the fall. She is both extremely proud and grateful to have been chosen for Theatre Odyssey’s festival a second time and aims to channel her passion for storytelling through comedy, connection, and heart.

Behind the Curtain

A rumored haunted theatre, a dead actor, and a hidden secret. Accusations fly and paranoia spreads as someone tries to hide their truth while the spirit of a old acquaintance looms over them, demanding the truth and seeking revenge.

Jaylene Diaz — From a young age, I have had a deep appreciation for the arts and history. My passion for making characters and stories behind them has been a long-term ambition. I often had to put in lots of research into many different historical periods and cultures. While my involvement in theatre is fairly new, I challenged myself by creating a play, now I have this amazing opportunity. (Wesley Chapel High School)

The Confession

Father Francis takes confession and finds solace in his own confession.

Lillian Donahue was born in Texas and moved to Florida in 2018. She attends Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School (Bradenton) and graduates this year. She will attend the University of Alabama in the fall and major in childhood education.

The Final Odyssey

There is a mystery in the palace and the distinguished Wilbert Holmes is determined to get to the bottom of it. A Princess, a Pirate, and a Pastry Chef have fallen under suspicion for committing an egregious act against the King. What do these Three P’s in a Pod have to say for themselves?

Seamus Kehoe is a homeschooled playwright in 12th grade. This marks his fourth and final year having a play performed by Theatre Odyssey. He is grateful to Venice Theatre, and his theatre teacher Preston Boyd, to his family and friends for their support, to his mom for keeping him on track with his goals, and to everyone at Theatre Odyssey for making this all possible. He is excited to see his play, The Final Odyssey, brought to life.

The Waiting Room

While in a hospital waiting room, two mothers find unexpected support in—and connection to—each other.

Delaney Lockwood is a junior at Venice High and honored to have her third play selected for this festival. She was the recipient of 2024’s Verna Safran Prize. Delaney’s favorite roles THIS season: Olive Ostrovsky (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) & Liesl von Trapp (The Sound of Music) at Venice Theatre, Mary Warren (The Crucible) at Sarasota Players, and Leading Player (Pippin) at VHS. She thanks Theatre Odyssey for providing opportunities for young playwrights.

The Shadow of Alder Creek

As a young girl grieves the loss of her late mother, an elderly man finds an unexpected connection with her through shared experiences and great tragedy.

Emma Plasencia is a young playwright at Lake Gibson High School (Lakeland), who has written a variety of scripts since 2025. Her latest entry, The Shadow of Adler Creek, is the first to be fully produced. She is 16 years old and will be in her senior year this coming fall. Emma also has a love of film and theatre as a whole, which is what convinced her to become a playwright and experiment with different genres and stories.