About the Program

Each year the Manitoba Association of Playwrights invite high school students to submit short plays for the High School Playwriting Program, now in its 24th year. A panel of theatre professionals select the successful applicants.  And then the fun begins!  

The playwrights work with professional dramaturgs (a playwright’s best friend and help mate) to help develop their play further, in a safe and supportive environment, through rewrites and workshops with actors. The program culminates in public readings.  We are  delighted that the Manitoba Theatre for Young People Theatre School will once again be joining us as producing partners in 2023/24 for the workshop and final share!  

This is an excellent opportunity to experience a professionally guided play development process, to work with young actors-in-training (the selected playwrights' peers and future collaborators), and to see your play performed before an audience of friends, family, and invited theatre professionals.

Application and Entry Guidelines

 

             

Plays & Playwrights

2023:

Hallway Silence by Cyan Gargol (St. Mary's Academy)

It Was Paradise by William Green (Vincent Massey Collegiate)

Linguini's Plight by Ethan Pereira (Garden City Collegiate)

Marcel by Janessa Pottinger (St. John's High School) 

2022:

Dark Orb by Eilidh Crawford (Vincent Massey High School, Brandon)

Sum by Cyan Gargol (St. Mary's Academy)

Good Intentions by Ella Scratch (Kelvin High School)  

2021:

To Have Loved and Lost by Cyan Gargol (St. Mary's Academy)

From The Ashes by Brody Tyler Thibodeau (Stonewall Collegiate Institute)

Insecure, Out of Place, and the Inability to do the Unthinkable by Keely Zacharias (Westgate Mennonite Collegiate) 

2020:

Answer Me by Ashlin Daly (University of Winnipeg Collegiate)

Co's Coffee Shop by Gelian Fernandez (Fort Richmond Collegiate)

Fly Happy by Natalie Veibrock (St. Mary's Academy)

Fading Away by Mackenzie Zacharias (Westgate Mennonite Collegiate)

2019:

Forget Me Not by Katie Dodgson (St. John's Ravenscourt) 

Keys to the Castle by Nina Hutsulak (St. Mary's Academy) 

The Good Germ by Lindsey Taylor (College Lorette Collegiate)

Happily Ever After Ever After by Mona Zorigoo (Kelvin High School) 

2018:

The Cora McKenzie Award for Best Play:

In Through the Window by Aurora R. Wiebe (Westgate Mennonite Collegiate)

Finalists:

Pressure Cooker by Ryleigh Anderson (St. Mary's Academy)

Setting Sail by Anna Gervais (Portage Collegiate Institute)

Letting Go by Feruz Habteselassi (Westgate Mennonite Collegiate)

Sleepy Town by Mona Zorigoo (Kelvin High School) 

2017:

1st Place: Psychiatric Rotation by Gabe Krawec (Gordon Bell)
2nd Place: Something by Christian Willitts (St. John's-Ravenscourt)
3rd Place: Welcome to the Teenage Brain by Anna Gervais (Portage Collegiate)
Honourable Mentions:
The Door by Annemiek Mallory (St. Mary's Academy)
A Lovely Surprise by Victor Pinto (Portage Collegiate)

2016:

1st Place: The New Beginning by Essence Bella Wandering Spirit Mordoch (St. Mary's Academy)
2nd Place: The War Within by Kyla Funk (Green Valley)
3rd Place: Entropy by Marcus Schneider (Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary)
Honourable Mentions:
Supracoracoideus by Samantha Machado (Balmoral Hall)
Lost In Between by Samanta Wilson (Westgate Mennonite)

2015:

1st Place: Special by Katarina Enns (Westgate Mennonite Collegiate)
2nd Place: Perspective by Solmund MacPherson (Kelvin High School)
3rd Place: Magnifique Hotel by Helen Black (St. Mary's Academy)
Honourable Mentions:
Beyond the Locked Window by Keyanna Boyko-Oulette (R.D. Parker High School, Thompson)
Men of the Bag by Evan Howgate (College Jeanne-Sauve)

2014:

1st Place: It's Definitely About The Keys by Richelle Burchill (Westgate Mennonite Collegiate)
2nd Place: Our Name by Sarah Luby (Vincen Massey Collegiate)
3rd Place: Forsaken Love by Keira Hasenack (St. Mary's Academy)
Honourable Mentions:
A Parable of Pagans by Marcus Schneider (East Selkirk Junior High)
Train To Nowhere In Particular by Isabella Fiorentino (St. Mary's Academy)

2013:

1st Place: Schitz by Hannah Burns (St. Mary's Academy)
2nd Place: A World of Our Own by Chris Porteous (Kildonan East Collegiate)
3rd Place: Left in the Cold by Lynn Simpson-Yellowquill (Elmwood High School)
Honourable Mentions:
The Angels by Andrea Lugtu and Carl Fabros (Tec Voc High School)
Intoxicated by Beatrice Tuano (St. Mary's Academy)

2012:

1st Place: Cheryl by Sasha Mark (Gordon Bell High School)
2nd Place: Still Waters by Elliot Lazar (Gray Academy)
3rd Place: The Trials of Madness by Reisha Hancox (Green Valley School)
Honourable Mentions:
Searching For... by Rebecca Schur (Steinbach Regional Secondary School)
Ophelia's Lament by Cora Fast (Green Valley School)

2011:

1st Place: Error by Logan Stefanson (Gimli High School)
2nd Place:The Game of Life by Caitlin Gannon (Tec Voc High School)
3rd Place: Get Over Yourself by Elliot Lazar (Gray Academy)
Honourable Mentions:
Everything's Fine by Rebecca Schur (Steinbach Regional Secondary School)
A Cheesy Twist by Victoria Isbister (Nelson McIntyre Collegiate)

2010:

1st Place: Penance by Bailey MacLeod (U of W Collegiate)
2nd Place: Never Turn Back by Caitlin Gannon (Tec Voc High School)
3rd Place: How Did I Die? by Kaylyn Kalupar (College St. Norbert Collegiate)
Honourable Mentions:
Lost Soul by Nathan Hill (Portage Collegiate)
Possessed By Magic by Jessica Gomes (Nelson McIntyre Collegiate)

2009:

1st Place: Dirty Rotten Un Loved Zombie: The Musical by Shelby Thevenot and Aaron McAuley (Portage Collegiate)
2nd Place: Tooth Fairies: A Night In The Life by Hannia Curi (Vincent Massey Collegiate,)
3rd Place:The Voice by Corinne Coutts (U of W Collegiate)
Honourable Mentions:
The Truth by Dustin Monkman (Tec Voc High School)
The Guilty Conscience of a Teenage Mind by Nathan Costa (Tec Voc High School)

2008:

1st Place: I Dream Of Jimmy  by Ashley Alberg (West Kildonan Collegiate)
2nd Place: The Love Triangle by K.R. Byggdin (Niverville Collegiate)
3rd Place:  Death (And Other Small Issues of Communication by Jessy Ardern (Vincent Massey Collegiate)
Honourable Mentions:
Don’t Forget About Us by Kris Longmuir (Tec Voc High School)
Caroline by Cherrel Holder (Vincent Massey Collegiate)

2007:

1st Place: 45 Reasons Why I hate The World by Dylan Gyles (Kelvin High School)
2nd Place: In The Hot Seat by Kaitlyn McDermid (Portage Collegiate)
3rd Place: Perspective by Maria Funk (Tec Voc High School)
Honourable Mentions:
I’ll Be Seeing You by Ashley Alberg (West Kildonan Collegiate)
Color of Love by Chanelle Holder (Vincent Massey Collegiate)

 
2006:

1st Place:  Think, Then Speak by Dylan Gyles (Kelvin High School)
2nd Place:  Eckvile by Joseph Tritt (U of W Collegiate)
3rd Place: Letting Go by Rochelle Fourre (Tec Voc High School)
Honourable Mentions:
Rubber Boots and Bamboo Shoots  by Kaitlyn McDermid (Portage Collegiate)
Missing Maureen by Jesse Ardern (Vincent Massey Collegiate)

2005:

1st Place:  Take It by Dylan Gyles (Kelvin High School)
2nd Place:  Hockey Life In Canada by Devon Ford (Portage Collegiate)
3rd Place: A Play By Joseph Black by Conrad Sweatman (Kelvin High School)
Honourable Mentions:
The Village of Life  by Grace Bowness (College Churchill)
The Right Thing To Do by Theresa McIver (Westwood Collegiate) 

2004:

1st Place: Virgin Falls by Alyssa Stefanson (Westwood Collegiate)
2nd Place: Kaddy by Hannah Prodan (Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School)
3rd Place: The Case of the White Truffle by Grace Bowness (College Churchill)
Honourable Mentions:
Faces, Time-Lapsed by Josh Grummett (John Taylor Collegiate)
New Order by Michelle Bigold (St. James Collegiate)

2003:

1st Place: .COM, by Cora McKenzie (Portage Collegiate);
2nd Place: A Disconnection, by Ashley Sy and Katherine Vong (Kelvin High School);
3rd Place: Harlot, Queen of Denmark, by Craig Haas (Westwood Collegiate)
Honourable Mentions:
It's Simple, by Jenna Tichon (Westwood Collegiate),
Escape, by David Barkman (Westwood Collegiate)

2002:

1st Place: An Ordinary Girl, by Lauren Parsons (Kelvin High School)
2nd Place: In Wonderland, by Christine Kampen, (Westgate Mennonite Collegiate);
3rd Place: On the Road, Colin Shelton (Westgate Mennonite Collegiate);
Honourable Mentions:
Twist of Fate, Cole Robson-Hyska (Dakota Collegiate),
Waves on the Shore, Marieke Breakey (Westwood Collegiate)

2001:

1st Place: The Old Lie, by Katherine Coerdt, Christelle Manaigre, and Cherie Perrier (College Lorette Collegiate)
2nd Place: The Eagle Princess, by Amanda Barbeau, (Frontier Collegiate)
3rd Place: Mixed Up Fairy Tales, by Deborah Vanbeek, Deborah VanderLinde, and Pamela Shpak (Immanuel Christian School)
Honourable Mentions:
An Old Man's Face, by Cole Robson-Hyska (Dakota Collegiate)
He Can't Be, by Odessa Bashuk-Riechel (Garden City Collegiate)