High School Playwriting readings. Photo by McLeod9 Creative

Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) Education and Community Engagement is happy to announce the winners of the 14th annual Middle School and High School Playwriting Competition. 

The Playwriting Competition is grounded in workshops hosted by DCPA Education Teaching Artists. These in-school workshops introduce students to the fundamentals of playwriting, bolster creative writing skills, and encourage them to discover their dramatic voices. In advance of this year’s competition, 159 workshops were held across metro Denver and 10 counties throughout the state. 

The top three plays by each age group will be included in the 2026 Playwriting Anthology and the three winning high school plays will receive a public staged reading as part of the 2026 Colorado New Play Summit, running February 14-15.  

This year, the DCPA received 288 total submissions. After careful review by a panel of artistic, literary, and theatre education professionals, DCPA Education and Community Engagement is proud to announce the following winners for the Middle School and High School Playwriting Competition. 

Winners and finalists listed alphabetically by play title 

HIGH SCHOOL WINNERS: 

• Bajo La Misma Luna by Flavia Armas, Senior at Cherry Creek High School
• Number 47 by Carson McConathy and Kaylee Johnson, Seniors at Salida High School
• Scraps by Audrey Flege, Senior at Denver School of the Arts

MIDDLE SCHOOL WINNERS: 

• The Case of the Missing Jewels by Emery Eun, William “Bill” Roberts K-8
• The Daughter of the All-father by Miyu Hessel, Carmody Middle School
• The Waiting Room by Taylor Hunt, St. Thomas More

Additional 7 high school finalists: 

• The Grocery and the Clerk by Liam McBride, Senior at Cherry Creek High School
• La Ultima Vuelta by Daniela Perez, Senior at Cherry Creek High School
• Storm Surge by Cressida McCurdy, Junior at Renaissance Secondary School
• This Corner On 18th by Cadge Percia, Freshman at Denver School of the Arts
• The Weight of Still Water by Katherine Stuart, Freshman at Renaissance Secondary School
• When It Rains by Claire Hill, Freshman at Denver School of the Arts
• Wilted by Gabe Looney and Alanna Scheuermann, Seniors at Salida High School