The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival (PSYPF), which promotes and encourages theatrical creative writing to all elementary, middle, and high school students within Riverside County, announced that playwright, screenwriter, and actor Phinneas Kiyomura will serve as the festival’s 2023 mentor. As mentor, Kiyomura will provide professional guidance to the winning student playwrights and coach them through the entire process of finalizing their plays for the staged reading that will be held in Palm Springs later this year. Submissions for the 2023 festival will be accepted through March 31. When the submission window closes, a selection committee will review all submissions and choose the most outstanding plays. Each winner will receive a mentorship to enhance their play, a free public staged reading by professional actors, and a $500 scholarship to help further their career in the arts. Winning plays will be announced in April. The 5th Annual Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival will be held in June of 2023 at The Palm Springs Cultural Center.
Additionally, the festival announced that philanthropist and business leader Harold Matzner has become the festival’s Premier Sponsor for 2023.
“We are honored that Phinneas, who is a highly respected in his field, has agreed to mentor this year’s winning playwrights,” said David Youse, Executive Director of the Festival. “Phinneas is extremely passionate about the impact that theatre can have on youth and his insights and guidance of the student playwrights will be invaluable. We are especially grateful that Harold Matzner has committed to supporting our growing festival. His support will be invaluable.”
The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival promotes and encourages creative writing – in the theatrical form – open to all students in the elementary, middle, and high school level within Riverside County, California. The Festival provides a scholarship to further education in the arts, mentorship, and a public reading to young playwrights of chosen plays. More information is available at psypf.org.