CONGRATULATIONS!
HSPP 2026 | FINALIST + SEMIFINALIST SCRIPTS
2026 FINALIST SCRIPTS
River Russell - Fries, Not Tots - Arlington High School
Burnice Huddleston - Living With Guilt - Arlington High School
Tristan DaLuz - Lurking on Beautiful Things - Mansfield Legacy High School
Elizabeth Rayne - Missed Connections - Haltom High School
2026 SEMI-FINALIST SCRIPTS
Jennifer Par - Between Leaving & Staying - Founders Classical Academy of Flower Mound
Lillian Clark - False God - Arlington High School
Audrianna Williams - Reverse Parent Trap - Mansfield Legacy High School
Marguerite Groover - The Queen's Stitch - Haltom High School
Celebrating the creativity and passion of our region’s most talented young playwrights for 30 years with staged readings of the top finalist scripts, an awards ceremony, and a reception following the performances.
Scroll Down for the full process of the project and recognitions for playwrights!
HSPP 2025 | TOP TWENTY SCRIPTS | Listed in alphabetical order
Roby Antwine - The Thing About Marcia – Arlington
Victor Centeno - About the Future - Arlington
Lillian Clark - False God - Arlington
Tristan Daluz - Lurking on Beautiful Things - Mansfield Legacy
Ally Ely - Incorporeal - Mansfield Legacy
Leah Gibbons - No Way Out - Arlington
Marguerite Groover - The Queen's Stitch - Haltom
Burnice Huddleston - Living With Guilt - Arlington
Melody Johnston - The Dilemma of the Dimwitted - Mansfield
Dionne Lord - The Moon and Her Son - Mansfield
Finley McGuffin - The Things You Do for Love - Arlington
Zoe Narvarte - Seeing Daisies - Mansfield
Jennifer Par - Between Leaving and Staying - Founders Classical
Matthew Parson - Hacksaw - Haltom
River Russell - Fries, Not Tots - Arlington
Demetrius Russell - The Spot - Arlington Lamar
Violet Smith - Robbery Gone Wrong - Arlington
Madison Weber - The Voicemail - Arlington
Audrianna Williams - Reverse Parent Trap - Mansfield Legacy
Dionne Lord – You’re Pretty Fly For a Bug Guy – Haltom
HSPP SPONSORS
Thank you to our generous sponsors who make our scholarship, program, and theater ticket donations possible.
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2023 HSPP FINALIST & SEMIFINALISTS
We are SO excited for our 2023 High School Playwriting Project semifinalist and finalists! We are THRILLED for these writers who will receive trophies, scholarship, and the opportunity for their plays to be read by professional actors.
HSPP 2023 FINALIST PLAYWRIGHTS
HSPP 2023 SEMI-FINALIST PLAYWRIGHTS
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HSPP 2023 FINALIST READING SERIES PARTICIPANTS
DIGITAL PROGRAM - 2023
HSPP 2022 FINALIST PLAYWRIGHTS
HSPP 2022 SEMIFINALIST PLAYWRIGHTS
Elle Chavis
Show Your Hand
The Hockaday School
Caleb Jackson
A Middle Place
FWAFA
Caroline Slaughter
Big Girls Don't Cry
FWAFA
Adam Szkudlarek & Rylee Hunt
Magic and Monsters
Southlake Carroll
Layla Williams
Good Boy
FWAFA
Maya Michalski
Up, Down
FWAFA
Vinny Worsley
Misunderstanding
Trinity Valley
Sohani Ramnani & Connor Musier
Ronald Ronald and the World-Wide Spoon Shortage
Southlake Carroll
HSPP | FINALIST READING SERIES
June 26, 2022 | 7:00pm
Thank you for attending our 2022 Finalist Reading Series hosted by Theatre Wesleyan on the campus of Texas Wesleyan University. At this event, we honor our student playwrights and present awards to semifinalist and finalist playwrights. Our main event is the reading of the top four scripts by professional DFW actors.
Thank you to Pepe's Taqueria for bringing their amazing tacos & quesadillas.
2021 HSPP FINALIST & SEMIFINALISTS
2021 FINALIST READING SERIES
Full gallery here | All photos by Yajaira Rosales + Tim Long
HSPP 2021 FINALIST PLAYWRIGHTS
HSPP 2021 SEMI-FINALIST PLAYWRIGHTS
HSPP 2021 CAST
WATCH THE 2020 FINALIST READING SERIES
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Megan
Warren
"I love that I had this opportunity to express myself in such a unique way. I was able to write an opinion piece on a topic I am very passionate about, but write it in a way that I am familiar with... I highly recommend that everybody try this experience if they are able to!"
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts
Caroline
Speer
"The HSPP experience for me was super fun and challenging. I’m really glad I got to participate in something that could really test my abilities as a writer."
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts
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Olivia
Rodriguez Smith
"I absolutely loved my HSPP experience! I had never written a play before, so I was truly starting from square one. I must have started with 10 different ideas/concepts and at a certain point, I just began writing! My first draft was revised and revised and revised until I finally felt like I had something that worked. Getting to do HSPP ignited creative energy in me that I really love, and I cannot wait to continue with and improve on. I never would have imagined that I would find so much joy, excitement, and discovery in playwriting. I certainly would never have imagined that I would be chosen as a finalist! Thank you so much to Circle Theatre for this wonderful and unique opportunity!"
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts
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Grant
Goodnight
“The experience of this project was very fulfilling! It made me realize that playwriting is something I love and want to do for the rest of my life!”
Southwest Christian
2020 HSPP Finalist Reading Series || TRAILER
Waiting for the End by Megan Warren
Our 10-minute digital play reading presented as part of HSPP
Featuring: Savannah Elayyach + Octavia Thomas
Crossroads by Olivia Rodriguez Smith
Our 10-minute digital play reading presented as part of HSPP
Featuring: Alli Franken + Nate Frederickson
Boys Don't Cry by Caroline Speer
Our 10-minute digital play reading presented as part of HSPP
Featuring: Canali Miller + Joe Skipper
Controlling the Controllables
by Grant Goodnight
Our 10-minute digital play reading presented as part of HSPP
Featuring: Lee George, Kristen Lazarchick, Nicole Renee Johnson, Jasmine Mesre, Libby Smith
HSPP 2020 Semi-Finalists
Weeping Well - Madisen Barrera, Boswell High School || Teacher: Melissa Wallis
A Sight to See - Mary Caruthers, All Saints’ Episcopal School || Teacher: James Venhaus
When the Cards are Stacked - Abigail McCurdy, Southwest Christian || Teacher: Cyndi Woodward
House Guest - Mati Valadez, Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts || Teacher: Lindy Davis
HSPP 2019 Finalists and Semi-Finalists
