Independent Arts News Reporting Phillips’ Mill Annual Student Playwriting Challenge “Play With Words” Announced.“ Put Yourself Out There,” Says Past Winner
Reported on Monday, November 10, 2025.
Pictured Above: Phillips’ Mill Players rehearse the readings of the Play With Words winning plays. Photo Credit: Contributed.
NEWSROOM POST: NEW HOPE, PENNSYLVANIA
Entries are accepted through midnight, January 5, 2026. Up to six winning plays will be selected and performed as live readings by actors on the historic Mill stage on February 28.
New Hope, PA, – When Play with Words, Phillips’ Mill Community Association’s annual student playwriting competition, was launched four years ago, its mission was to offer students aged 12 through 18 a creative outlet that enhanced the Mill’s relationship to schools and community. “We knew kids had multiple means of expressing themselves – whether through established drama entities or myriad social media platforms,” says Valerie Eastburn, Phillips’ Mill’s Drama Chair. “But we wanted to create a theatrical challenge that exposed young writers to the reaction of a live audience, while also providing a professional critique of their work.
Now in its fourth year, Play with Words has expanded its reach by accepting scripts from students within a 75-mile radius of New Hope, PA, and deepened its roots by mentoring potential applicants. In a recent pre-submission workshop held last month via Zoom, one of last year’s winners, Josilyn Hill of Chalfont, PA, discussed an idea she’s working on for this year’s entry. As playwright John Augustine listened, he suggested a few exercises to help Josilyn develop her concept.
Play with Words Chair, Fran Ferrone, hopes that feedback from former winners on their experience might inspire others.
Pictured Above: Past winner, Avigail Wus (left), with her family at rehearsal last year. Photo Credit: Contributed.
Charley Mahar of Warrington, PA shared, “Playwriting forces me to read it repeatedly, carefully planning out dialogue, which gives me a better result… one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had!”
Emma Boerner of Princeton found Play with Words “so validating to see your work put up for an audience….Put yourself out there – I promise it’s worth it!”
The best endorsement of all: past winners are applying again this year. “We’re delighted,” says Ferrone, “and we wish them – and all newcomers – the very best of luck. And with holiday vacation coming up there’s still plenty of time to write.”
Phillips’ Mill Community Association has been serving the creative community in our area since its founding in 1929 and is located at 2619 River Road, New Hope, PA 18938. 215-862-0582. www.phillipsmill.org.
