ENOUGH! Invites Young Playwrights to Script Solutions to 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 email,
ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence is once again asking teens nationwide to write 10-minute plays on gun violence. Discover how your students, school, theatre, or organizations can get involved!
Help us better understand how schools use Ticketing Platforms for your theatre program. Take our Ticketing Platform Survey by December 10th and be entered to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
And don’t forget to check out this week's free read, Anne of Green Gables
adapted by Jon Jory!
So, raise the curtain, shine the spotlight, and dive into another thrilling week in the theatre world. Welcome to The Scene.
Betty Gilpin Will Take Over Broadway's Oh, Mary! in 2025 by Logan Culwell-Block, Playbill | Cole Escola's campy comedy about the famed first lady has extended its run with a new star. Read...
T. R. Knight, Gabrielle Nevaeh, Alex Breaux, More Join Stranger Things: The First Shadow on Broadway by Margaret Hall, Playbill | Based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers, the play is penned by Kate Trefry. Read...
Get a 1st Listen to Jonathan Groff Singing as Bobby Darin by Logan Culwell-Block, Playbill | Additional casting has also been revealed for the Groff-led Broadway jukebox biomusical Just in Time, set to begin in March 2025. Read...
Ticketing Platform Survey
Ticketing platforms have become integral to managing and streamlining the operations of many High School theatre programs across the United States. Please take a few moments to answer the questions included in this short survey. Please complete the survey by December 10 for a chance to win a $100 gift card!
Your responses will help us better understand the current landscape!
Momma Rose’s Many Faces, From Ethel Merman to Audra McDonald by Ben Brantley, The New York Times | In her various incarnations, the “Gypsy” character is always loud, always scary, but so different. Ben Brantley reflects on all the onstage Roses he has known. Read...
When Stephen Sondheim Transformed Theater, and Theatergoers, Forever by Emma Brockes, The New York Times | An incisive new book, “How Sondheim Can Change Your Life,” examines the extraordinary career of the master of the musical. Read...
United Federation of Teachers joins the coalition opposing a Times Square Casino by Michael Abourizk, Broadway News | UFT president Michael Mulgrew, in a statement called the casino a “bad idea,” saying, “It would undermine the theater district and dilute the distinctive power of Broadway, an industry that offers unique educational and career opportunities for our students. Broadway is an educational goldmine for the children of our city, and it needs to be protected.” Read...
ENOUGH! Invites Young Playwrights to Script Solutions to Gun Violence
By Zach Dulli, The Scene
What if your words could change the world? Not someday, but now. That’s the audacious question ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence is once again asking teens nationwide. In an era where gun violence has become the leading cause of death for children and teens in America, ENOUGH! offers young writers a chance to respond with courage, creativity, and conviction. If you're a theatre educator—or a teen with something to say—this isn’t just an opportunity. It’s a movement.
Why ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence Matters
The statistics are heartbreaking: gun violence casts a shadow over our schools, communities, and daily lives. For teens, that shadow is deeply personal. ENOUGH! understands this, and since its founding in 2019, the initiative has used the transformative power of theatre to spark dialogue and inspire action. By inviting teens to write 10-minute plays on gun violence, ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence empowers them to turn their fear, anger, and hope into art.
And the impact? Nothing short of remarkable. ENOUGH! has received nearly 600 plays from teens across the country, published 21 of them in partnership with Playscripts, and hosted three nationwide readings that have reached over 14,000 people. These readings, performed simultaneously by schools, theatres, and organizations across the U.S., foster vital conversations and raise funds for local gun violence prevention efforts.
Calling All Teen Writers: Your Voice Matters
Back again for 2025, ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence is once again blending artistry with activism as they urge teenage playwrights across the United States to continue to engage in this most pressing issue through the powerful medium of theatre. If you’re a teen with a story to tell, ENOUGH! wants to hear it. Submissions for the 2025 cycle open on January 1, 2025, and close on April 1, 2025. You can find the complete list of guidelines, eligibility requirements, submission deadlines, and more by visiting their website at enoughplays.com/writing.
The Six Selected Playwrights Will Each Receive:
A $500 stipend.
Play published in the next ENOUGH! Anthology by Playscripts.
Membership to the Dramatists Guild.
Written feedback by the Selection Committee of professional playwrights.
An opportunity to have their play workshopped over a virtual platform in June-July, in collaboration with professional theatre artists, courtesy of the Dramatists Guild.
Play produced as part of the Nationwide Reading on October 6, 2025.
But more than the accolades, this is about making your voice heard. As past teen playwrights have proven, there’s no age limit on powerful storytelling.
For Theatre Educators: A Call to Action
Theatre teachers, this is where you come in. You know your students are already grappling with the issue of gun violence—whether through headlines, personal experiences, or the ever-present fear of what might happen at school. ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence allows them to process those feelings creatively and constructively.
This isn’t just about writing plays; it’s about empowering students to articulate their truths and build empathy, understanding, and action through theatre. ENOUGH! provides everything you need to bring this opportunity to your classroom, including two newly refreshed toolkits you can download today.
The refreshed Writer’s Toolkit guides students through the playwriting process. This 25+ page resource for both first-time playwrights and experienced young writers includes:
A road map for writing your ENOUGH! Play
Writing prompts to help spark the creative process
Pro tips from professional playwrights
Gun violence statistics and other resources
Full submission guidelines, project timeline, posters to print and display at school, and more!
The updated Educator’s Toolkit is also available as a companion kit for educators and includes additional resources and lesson plans to introduce ENOUGH! to students.
As ENOUGH! reminds us you don’t have to be an expert in gun violence—or even playwriting—to join this movement. The wonderful team who run the ENOUGH! program is there to support you every step of the way. In addition to the tools kits and website, you can ask questions at enoughplays@gmail.com.
The Nationwide Reading: October 6, 2025
If you’ve never experienced an ENOUGH! Play’s to End Gun Violence Nationwide Reading, mark your calendar for October 6, 2025. Theatres, schools, and organizations of all sizes will perform the six selected plays simultaneously across the country. These readings are more than performances; they’re evenings of reflection, dialogue, and community action.
Participation is free, and you can host a reading in your community. Theatres, schools, and other organizations interested in participating on October 6th can learn more at enoughplays.com/reading.
A Movement Rooted in Hope
At its core, ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence is about hope—hope that storytelling can spark change, that young voices can lead the way, and that communities can come together to confront one of the most pressing issues of our time.
So, whether you’re a teen ready to write, a teacher eager to champion this project, or a theatre looking to host a reading, now is the time to get involved. The deadline is April 1, 2025, but the journey starts today. Let’s change the world—one play at a time. Are you ready to say ENOUGH?
Important Links & Dates:
Submissions Open: January 1, 2025
Submissions Close: April 1, 2025
Submit Your Play: enoughplays.com/submit
The 2025 Writer’s Toolkit: Download here
The 2025 Educator’s Toolkit: Download here
Nationwide Reading Date: October 6, 2025
Official Website: enoughplays.com
ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence Published Volumes
1st Volume of ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence: Playscripts Link
2nd Volume of ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence: Playscripts Link
3rd Volume of ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence: Playscripts Link
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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!
Anne of Green Gables adapted by Jon Jory
The Story: This innovative adaptation, using five different actors to play Anne, is the classic story of a fiery young girl named Anne Shirley. When Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert end up with young Anne instead of the boy they thought they were adopting, their world is turned upside down. Marilla is not pleased with the orphanage's mix-up but agrees to keep the little girl for one month with the hope that she will be able to civilize Anne before sending her back. But will the imaginative and mischievous girl win over the hearts of her reluctant parents?
Comedy/Drama | 50 - 60 minutes | 11 W, 3 M, (9-15 actors possible: 7-12 W, 2-3 M) | Set: Flexible.
