Touchstone Theatre will celebrate 21 years of young creativity with its annual Young Playwrights’ Festival on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 3 p.m. at Northeast Middle School Theatre in Bethlehem.
Presented in partnership with the Bethlehem Area School District, the festival showcases original short plays written by local elementary and middle school students through Touchstone’s Young Playwrights’ Lab. The eight-week arts and literacy residency uses theatre, improvisation, writing exercises, and feedback to help students build confidence, strengthen writing skills, and bring their ideas to life onstage.
This year, more than 150 student plays were submitted. Four finalists will receive fully staged productions, with additional semifinalist and runner-up works featured through partial performances and selected scenes. The plays explore imaginative worlds filled with robots, dragons, dreams, and mystery, while also touching on themes such as bravery, family, resilience, and love.
The 2026 finalists are Rock, Scissors, And… by Keagen Frendt,
Adam Meets Eve by Sofia Hernandez,
The Last Three Days by Ben Harney,
and The Dream by Zori Sawyer.
The festival will feature direction from Touchstone company members and guest directors, with performances by Touchstone actors, community performers, and area students.
Touchstone Theatre proudly presents The 20th Annual Young Playwrights’ Festival 2025
Touchstone Education Director Mary Wright said the festival continues to give young voices a meaningful platform in the Lehigh Valley, celebrating students’ imagination and hard work as a community.
Tickets are $15. The box office opens at 2 p.m., theatre doors open at 2:30 p.m., and the show begins at 3 p.m. Advance tickets are available by calling 610-867-1689 or visiting touchstone.org.
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