Palm Springs, CA
The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival (PSYPF) has announced four student-written plays selected for its Ninth Annual Festival, continuing its mission to support and inspire young writers across Riverside County.
The organization revealed the winners on March 20 following a competitive submission process that included entries from elementary, middle, and high school students. Each year, PSYPF highlights emerging talent by producing staged readings of selected works, performed by professional actors and directors.
The 2026 winning playwrights will each receive mentorship, a public staged reading of their work, and a $500 scholarship to support their artistic development. This year’s mentor, Greg Cope White, Co-Executive Producer of Netflix’s BOOTS, will guide students through the process of refining and finalizing their scripts.
The selected plays for 2026 include:
- The Author Behind the Happily Ever After by Allana Beckman, Valley View High School, Moreno Valley
- The Rats of Broadway by Jason Bulanek, Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley
- Look at Me, I Exist by Ryleigh Sanchez, Valley View High School, Moreno Valley
- Mermaid Story by Carleigh Rios, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside
The staged readings will take place on June 7, 2026 at 12 p.m. at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Tickets are available for $10 online.
“We were truly impressed by both the volume and caliber of plays submitted this year,” said Executive Director David Youse. “Selecting the four winners was no easy task, and we’re thrilled with the final choices.”
In addition to the main awards, Bent Theatre, a professional theater company based in Palm Springs, will provide a $500 scholarship for a winning play that explores an LGBTQ+ theme, supporting its mission to uplift LGBTQIA+ voices.
PSYPF also maintains an active advisory board made up of past festival winners, helping guide the organization’s future while staying connected to its roots in student creativity.
The festival partners with the Riverside County Office of Education to expand its reach beyond the Coachella Valley and serve students throughout the county.
Funding for the nonprofit comes from a range of community supporters, including the Anderson Children’s Foundation, Western Wind Foundation, the City of Palm Springs, and several individual donors. Sponsors include the Riverside County Office of Education, Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs, and the Palm Springs Cultural Center.
More information about the festival and its programs can be found at www.psypf.org.