Stage It! 10-Minute Play Competition: Award Winners

Dear Writers, Actors, Volunteers and Audience Members,

It is with a mix of emotions that we announce the permanent cancellation of the Stage It! new works festival. After seven remarkable years of celebrating the art of playwriting on a national scale, we have made the difficult decision to conclude this incredible journey.

Stage It! has been an extraordinary platform for nurturing and showcasing playwrights from across the nation. It has been a source of inspiration and a testament to the richness of creative talent in our community. Over the years, we have been deeply grateful for the unwavering support from all of you.

However, as we look back on the past seven years and consider the future, we believe it is time to bring this chapter to a close. While the decision to end the festival was not easy, it is a decision that reflects our commitment to adapt to changing times and focus on new opportunities and ventures.

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all who have contributed to the success of the festival, whether by submitting plays, volunteering, sponsoring, or attending the festival. Your dedication and passion have been the driving force behind the festival's accomplishments.

Though Stage It! will no longer grace our calendars, the spirit of playwriting and artistic expression will continue to thrive. We are currently offering classes to local adults in writing, improv, and acting; and plan to build on that with further creative opportunities for those of you with a passion for writing and/or performing. We hope you will carry the memories and experiences from the festival with you and find new avenues to share your love for the arts.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to everyone who has been a part of this incredible journey. Your support and participation have been invaluable to us, and we look forward to remaining connected with you in other ways.

As we close this chapter, we do so with a profound sense of gratitude and pride in the incredible community that Stage It! has built over the years. We thank you all for being a part of this remarkable journey and for your dedication to the arts.

With deep gratitude,

Joseph Brauer
Theatre Artistic Director
Arts Bonita

Following is the list of Finalists and Semi-Finalists listed by year. We thank each and every playwright for having the guts to put pen to paper and even more gutsy, to share your words with the world. We sincerely appreciate that and thank you.

The Audience Favorite selection for 2023 is Flying Fish by James Lunsford, directed by Toni Palumbo Vasquez, featuring Melissa Hennig and Cynthia Sepich.

** denotes play voted Audience Favorite