ENOUGH! Announces 2025 Winning Plays by Teen Writers Tackling Gun Violence
Plus, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed!
Welcome to The Scene, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed. In this week's edition:
ENOUGH! has announced the six winning teen-written plays for its 2025 national competition, spotlighting bold, urgent stories about gun violence that will be performed in a nationwide reading this October.
We explore why building an understudy system in your high school theatre program isn’t an unnecessary expense; it’s essential insurance that promotes professionalism, deepens student learning, and keeps your production on track when life inevitably throws a curveball.
Don’t miss this week’s free read from Playscripts: The Walk Across America for Mother Earth by Taylor Mac, music by Ellen Maddow.
And don’t miss the latest episode of The Scene podcast, featuring a conversation with Tony Award-winning playwright of Eureka Day, Jonathan Spector.
So, raise the curtain and shine the spotlight as we dive into another thrilling week in the theatre world. Welcome to The Scene.
Broadway’s Season of Screens by Michael Paulson, The New York Times | Videos and projections depicting an A.I.-generated actor, the digital memories of robots, a redwood forest, and more: High-tech storytelling is having a moment. Read...
Broadway Chess Revival Finds a Home, Dates by Logan Culwell-Block, Meg Masseron, Playbill | Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele, and Nicholas Christopher will star in the cult favorite musical at the Imperial Theatre. Read...
Six: The Musical Breaks Broadway Record by Andrew Gans, Playbill | Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ international hit continues at the Lena Horne Theatre. Read...
Mark Strong, Lesley Manville-Led Oedipus Sets Broadway Dates by Logan Culwell-Block, Playbill | Robert Icke directs and has newly adapted the Sophocles tragedy, coming to the Main Stem after a West End bow. Read...
Dr. LaMar Bagley Named 2025 Stephen Schwartz Musical Theatre Teacher of the Year by Logan Culwell-Block, Playbill | Recognizing his work at Washington, D.C.'s SEED Falcon Theatre, the honor was announced June 24 at the International Thespian Festival. Read...
2 Don Zolidis Plays Becoming Musicals Via Broadway Licensing by Logan Culwell-Block, Playbill | The school-favorite plays,10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse and The Audition, are getting one-act musical adaptations. Read...
Fabiola Caraballo Quijada and Chris Hayes named winners of the 2025 Jimmy Awards by Michael Abourizk, Broadway News | Josh Groban hosted the 16th annual ceremony honoring excellence in high school-level theater. Read...
The Most-Produced School Shows of 2024-25 (According to PLAYBILLDER) by Natan Zamansky, Playbill | Here are the youth shows that proved most popular with Playbill’s program-building service. Read...
The Big Idea
ENOUGH! Announces 2025 Winning Plays by Teen Writers Tackling Gun Violence
by Zach Dulli, The Scene
In an extraordinary act of artistic activism, six young playwrights have been named the winners of this year’s ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence competition, a national short play initiative challenging teens to use theatre as a force for change. Their searing new works, which confront the epidemic of gun violence in America with urgency and imagination, will take center stage on October 6, 2025, in a powerful evening of coordinated readings across the country.
This marks the fourth year of ENOUGH!’s nationwide campaign, and the scope continues to expand. Founded in 2019 by Chicago-based producer Michael Cotey, ENOUGH! offers a platform for teenage writers to share stories that speak not only to the trauma of gun violence, but to its ripple effects: emotional, political, and personal.
The six winning playwrights represent a diverse cross-section of the country, encompassing a breadth of styles, tones, and approaches. Their plays, each no longer than ten minutes, explore themes such as grief, community, irony, identity, and justice. This year’s winning plays and playwrights are:
Holding Space by Abby Dougherty (17, GA) explores recovery after a school shooting, balancing trauma and resilience.
Oh Look, Another School Shooting! by Matias Finley (17, WI) employs biting satire to question the numbness that follows recurring tragedy.
Nobody Cares About Death by Ian Hodges (16, FL) offers a chilling personification of Death, now exhausted by the rising number of gunshot victims.
The Perfect Victim by Payton Aurora Jones (19, CA) explores systemic racism and the transformative power of community healing.
We Didn’t Have to Meet Here by Pace Rundlett (16, MS) personalizes the data behind gun violence through a chance encounter.
Under Wraps by Olivia Stanley (19, TX) uses movement and poetry to expose the intersections of domestic violence and firearms.
These teen voices were selected from 127 submissions spanning 28 states by a prestigious panel including Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, bestselling author Jason Reynolds, acclaimed playwrights James Ijames, Kate Hamill, and Karen Zacarías, and celebrated dramaturg Ken Cerniglia.
“The dynamism and variety of style and perspective found in our selections represent what ENOUGH! is about,” said Reynolds, the #1 New York Times bestselling author and MacArthur Fellow. “These stories shine a light on the already bright future of our young people, as playwrights and otherwise. This has been a gift!”
Beyond the flagship performance (venue TBA), ENOUGH! will coordinate a nationwide evening of readings, inviting schools, theaters, and community organizations to stage the plays free of charge. Organizers are encouraged to partner with local advocacy groups and civic leaders to create conversations tailored to their communities’ realities.
In past years, ENOUGH! readings have been held in every corner of the country, and this year is on pace to be the most widespread yet. Among the dozens of confirmed 2025 venues are the Alliance Theatre (Atlanta, GA), Barrington Stage Company (Pittsfield, MA), Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (College Park, MD), and Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI), with more joining weekly. ENOUGH!’s goal is simple but ambitious: a reading in every U.S. state.
“This year’s plays don’t just explore gun violence, they interrogate the systems, silences, and identities that keep people trapped in its aftermath,” said Cotey. “These stories demand we confront not just the violence itself, but everything that allows it to persist. These teen writers aren’t asking for sympathy. They’re asking us to see the cages we’ve built and to break them.”
Each winning writer receives a $500 stipend, publication and licensing through Concord Theatricals’ Playscripts imprint, and membership in The Dramatists Guild.
The program is made possible through partnerships with the Civis Foundation, Newtown Action Alliance Foundation, Change the Ref, The Dramatists Guild of America, and Concord Theatricals. Since its founding, ENOUGH! has received over 700 plays by teen writers tackling gun violence, partnered with more than 140 organizations, involved over 3,000 artists, and reached more than 14,000 people. ENOUGH! has been featured in international press outlets, including PBS NewsHour, NPR, and BBC, and is the recipient of the Theatre for Young Audiences Community Impact Award and the Goldin Foundation Exemplary Project Award.
For educators, ENOUGH! represents more than a performance opportunity, it’s a real-time civic lesson, an invitation for students to lead, and a model for how theatre can shape dialogue on even the most difficult topics. Teachers interested in joining this year’s event on October 6 can visit enoughplays.com/reading to sign up. In an age where young people are too often treated as statistics, ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence reminds us: they are also the storytellers. And their stories matter.
To learn more about how your school or theatre can participate in the Nationwide Reading, visit enoughplays.com.
Anna Ziegler’s The Wanderers to have UK premiere in London by Alex Wood, WhatsOnStage | The writer of the award-winning Photograph 51 returns. Read...
The West End’s Hottest Seats: The Piles of Trash Outside ‘Evita’ by Alex Marshall, The New York Times | Crowds are converging outside the London Palladium to watch Rachel Zegler sing “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from a balcony, while paying theatergoers inside see it on a screen. Read...
Immersive Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy live show to open in London this autumn by Alex Wood, WhatsOnStage | The show will take over Riverside Studios. Read...
Crystal Skillman's The Rocket Men to Receive Rolling World Premiere by Margaret Hall, Playbill | The play centers on the former Nazis who used their scientific skills to flee Germany and become the backbone of the American Space Program. Read...
Charlotte d'Amboise, Kathy Fitzgerald, Amy Spanger, More to Lead Steel Magnolias This Summer by Meg Masseron, Playbill | In Robert Harling's beloved Southern classic, women of all ages and backgrounds are brought together in good times and bad. Read...
Casting and Creative Teams Revealed for Barrington Stage Company's 2025 Season by Meg Masseron, Playbill | The summer will include a new production of Camelot, an acclaimed new play recently staged Off-Broadway, and a world premiere musical. Read...
The Spotlight
Understudies: An Extra Expense or Necessary Insurance?
by Zach Dulli, The Scene
For many high school theatre directors, having understudies can feel like an unnecessary luxury, especially if you’re working with a small cast, a tight budget, or a packed rehearsal schedule. But in reality, having understudies isn’t just about preparing for worst-case scenarios; it’s about creating a safety net for your production, providing students with unique growth opportunities, and modeling professionalism in your program. When implemented thoughtfully, an understudy system can enhance your production while safeguarding it from last-minute crises.
Why Understudies Matter
Emergencies Happen: High school students juggle a multitude of responsibilities, including schoolwork, extracurricular activities, sports, and family commitments. Add to that the unpredictability of illness, injury, or last-minute conflicts, and it’s easy to see how one absence can throw a production off track. Understudies are your insurance policy, ensuring that the show can go on no matter what.
Building Depth in Your Cast: Understudies allow additional students to develop skills they might not have been able to showcase in their assigned roles. It’s a win-win: they gain experience preparing for a significant role without the pressure of being the first cast, and your production benefits from having a deeper pool of trained performers.
Modeling Professionalism: Having understudies in place mirrors professional theatre practices. It reinforces the importance of having a backup plan for every production and teaches students to approach their work with discipline and responsibility. For students aspiring to pursue theatre beyond high school, this experience can be invaluable.
Reinforcing Commitment Across the Cast: Knowing an understudy is ready to step in can encourage your lead performers to stay focused, responsible, and dedicated. It fosters a healthy sense of accountability and emphasizes that no one is irreplaceable, even in a lead role.
Choosing the Right Understudies
Selecting the right understudies is critical to making the system work. Here are some considerations:
Reliability Over Star Power: An understudy doesn’t have to be the second-most talented person in your cast; they need to be reliable, hard-working, and able to learn quickly. A dependable understudy who puts in the effort will serve your production better than a highly skilled performer who’s inconsistent.
Growth Potential: Casting younger or less experienced students as understudies is a great way to prepare them for future lead roles. They get the benefit of learning a challenging part without the immediate pressure of performing it, giving them a head start for future auditions and productions.
Willingness to Step Up: Make sure the students you select as understudies are enthusiastic about the role. Understudies can feel thankless if they don’t get to perform, so it’s essential to frame the opportunity as a valuable experience rather than a consolation prize.
How to Make Understudies Meaningful
Involve Them in Rehearsals: Don’t treat understudies as an afterthought. Set aside specific rehearsal time for them to learn blocking, lines, and choreography. While they may not rehearse as often as the lead, they need enough practice to step into the role confidently if needed. Shadow rehearsals, where understudies observe and occasionally participate in scenes with the main cast, can also help them feel connected to the process.
Combine Roles: Understudies can also take on meaningful ensemble roles if your production is small. This keeps them engaged in the show and ensures they’re contributing regardless of whether they ever go on as the lead.
Offer Performance Opportunities: Give understudies a chance to perform whenever possible. Knowing they'll get to step into the role can keep them motivated and invested, whether during a matinee, a special school assembly, or a final dress rehearsal. If scheduling allows, you could even offer alternating performances for your lead and understudy.
Acknowledge Their Work: Publicly recognize your understudies in programs, announcements, and conversations. Let the cast, crew, and audience know how vital their preparation is to the production's success. Even if they never go on, their hard work should be celebrated.
When to Skip Understudies
While understudies are valuable, they’re not always necessary for every role or production. Roles with minimal lines or short stage time may not require a dedicated understudy. Instead, consider training ensemble members to cover multiple minor roles in case of an emergency.
However, lead roles, pivotal supporting characters, and critical solos should always have a backup. Even if you’re working with a small cast, think creatively about how to reassign roles in a crisis. Planning is always better than scrambling at the last minute.
Why Understudies Benefit Your Entire Program
Understudies aren’t just about logistical safety; they’re an investment in your program’s long-term success. By preparing students to step into major roles, you’re creating a culture of readiness, professionalism, and resilience. You’re also building a talent pipeline, ensuring your younger performers gain the experience they need to eventually take on lead roles.
Most importantly, students learn to value preparation, teamwork, and responsibility. Whether they ever step into the role or not, the process of understudying helps them grow as performers and collaborators. For directors, the peace of mind that comes from knowing your production has a safety net is worth the extra effort.
In the end, a well-prepared understudy isn’t just a backup; they’re an integral part of the production’s success. By incorporating understudies thoughtfully and meaningfully, you’re setting up your show and your students for success, no matter what surprises come your way.
Free Reads of the Week
Read entire plays for free! Playscripts offers a selection of full-length and one-act plays that you can access for free, which is ideal for use in theatre productions, school performances, or competitions. To explore these titles, click on the cover image below or select the "READ FOR FREE" button at the bottom of this section. This action will direct you to the play's page on the Playscripts website. Once there, click "READ NOW" to begin enjoying the play immediately!
The Walk Across America for Mother Earth by Taylor Mac, music by Ellen Maddow
The Story: Political activism meets bedazzled drag show in this story about two young friends who flee their suburban upbringing in "Real America" to join a ragtag group of activists on a protest march from D.C. to Nevada. On the road, the group attempts to establish a nomadic utopia, but the marchers continually find themselves divided by cancer, unrequited affections, indecision, and a secret hunger for power. Whimsically blending commedia dell'arte influences with song and dance, The Walk Across America for Mother Earth explores how the idea of community sometimes fails to unite us, and sometimes brings us together in the most unexpected ways.
Genre: Comedic Play with Music | Run-Time: 110 - 120 minutes | Casting: 4 W, 6 M, 2 Any (10-12 actors possible: 4-6 W, 6-8 M) | Set: A Pantomime Set.
Please note: From May 15 to August 15, The Scene will be moving to a bi-weekly publishing schedule. We'll return to our regular weekly schedule after that. Thanks for your continued support, and have a great summer!