On September 27th, 28th and 29th young writers from the Greater Philadelphia region will have their work showcased as part of Philadelphia Young Playwrights' 2007-2008 Play Development Series. The Series kicks of with New Voices , a program of enhanced workshops of winning student plays submitted to the 2007 Annual Playwriting Festival. Students from Philadelphia, Delaware County and the Main Line will have their plays presented at Tomlinson Theater (13 th and Norris Streets, Philadelphia) in collaboration with Temple University's Department of Theater. All performances are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.phillyyoungplaywrights.org or call (215) 665-9226. [A full schedule and description of performances follows below. ]

Young Playwrights' annual collaboration with Temple on New Voices gives middle and high school-aged playwrights the opportunity to see their work presented in a professional workshop, placing the student playwrights at the center of a two-week rehearsal and production process in which they interact directly with the director, dramaturg, actors, and stage crew. The workshops, which present the first place plays from winning middle and high School students, feature undergraduate students from Temple's Department of Theatre and direction from theatre professionals including local personalities Donald J. Smith, Jr., Charles Dumas, Matt Pfieffer , Lee Etzold, Jan Silverman, and Ryder Thornton.

The young playwrights' creative voices shed light on topics ranging from journeys of self-discovery to imaginative tales from the humorous to the dark. The winning playwrights represent schools across the region including: George Washington High School, Parkway Northeast High School, Creative and Performing Arts High School, Northeast High School, Radnor Middle School, and Conestoga High School.

843 students in second-twelfth grades submitted scripts to the 2007 Annual Playwriting Festival. Winners were chosen at each grade level, and each student who submitted a play received comments from evaluators who read his or her script.

Winning elementary and middle school plays will be presented through the Saturday Morning Reading Series at Barnes & Noble Booksellers (1805 Walnut Street). The Series runs Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. throughout the year, again in collaboration with Temple University. The first readings take place on October 20th and November 10th. Admission to the readings and workshop productions is free.

Young Playwrights' productions and public events are made possible with support from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, PECO, An Exelon Company, and Philadelphia City Paper.

SCHEDULE: Enhanced Workshop Productions at Temple University

Thursday, September 27; 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, September 29; 8:00 p.m.

Not Another Divine Comedy! By Roger Hobbs ~ Conestoga High School
Dante leads Michael, a college student, through hell on an Amtrak Train.

A Snapshot of My Family By Elyse Pitock ~ Radnor Middle School
Fourteen year-old Jocelyn Nelson copes with life with her brother, Aaron, who has Asperger's.

Deliver Us From Evil By Mia Cammisa ~ Creative and Performing Arts High School
Two Catholic High School girls plan to eliminate their abusive nun/principal in this over the top comedy.

Friday, September 28; 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 29; 2:00 p.m.

The Breakthrough By Arun Benny ~ George Washington High School
A Train Passing By Maria Korostelev ~ George Washington High School
Two ten-minute plays.

The Choices We Make By Marquis Herring ~ Parkway Northwest High School
The main character discovers the value of his choices and the choices of others.

Hall Pass By Maneth Pan ~ Northeast High School
A hilarious take on the search for the ever-important prom date.

All performances are held at Temple University's Tomlinson Theater, located at 13 th and Norris Streets in Philadelphia. Admission is free; no tickets or reservations are required. Content is appropriate for middle or high school audiences.

About Philadelphia Young Playwrights
Founded in 1984, and led today by executive producing director Glen Knapp, Philadelphia Young Playwrights taps the potential of youth and inspires learning through playwriting in up to 50 public and private K-12 schools each year. Since 1984, approximately 60 professional playwrights have led workshops, and nearly all of Philadelphia's professional theatre companies have participated by performing, producing, or directing student works. More than 60,000 students have seen peers' work produced in class or by professionals. Young Playwrights' Literary Committee includes more than 60 educators, writers, parents, and former Young Playwrights students who read and critique each student script. Young Playwrights received the 2005 Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service and is the past recipient of a 1997 Barrymore Award for Theatre Education, a 2003 George Bartol Award for Excellence in Arts Education, and a 2004 Eastern University Award for Nonprofit Excellence.

For more information and to schedule interviews, please contact: Carrie Gorn, Canary Promotion + Design ph: 215-242-6393, email: carrie@canarypromo.com