Teen Playwrights Advance to Final Round in Theater Competition

Two Ditmas Park teen playwrights have advanced to the final round of an off-broadway competition that brings them one step closer to having their dreams of developing a full-length play realized.

Rachel Wagner, 16, and Ashley Stjuliette, 17, have advanced to the final round of the Strawberry One Act Play Festival, which rewards the playwright of the winning play $1,500 and the opportunity to have a full-length play developed by the Riant.

"The play has advanced to the finals this Wednesday," said Sam Wagner, Rachel's older brother. "Along the way [Rachel] has beat out some notable competition including a play directed by a CUNY theater professor as well as a play associated with another theater company."

about being accepted into the competition in June, saying it was not only a great opportunity to showcase their talents, but was a chance to highlight issues their peers face everyday. 

"I wrote for six hours straight," said Wagner. The one-act play she wrote, entitled "Kids These Days," focuses on the issues teenagers deal with today and how their problems are constantly negated by society.

"In school we learned how to do arithmetic and dissect a sheep's brain, but not how deal with our problems," she said. "The play is centered around teenagers but appeals to anyone who feels they haven't been heard."

Stjuliette noted she wanted to advance to prove that teenagers are as capable of achieving what they want as anyone else. "I want teenagers to see it and be inspired because it is a little unusual that we're so young," she said. "I want teenagers to see it [and realize] they can do whatever they want to do."