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Founded in 1988 by then CEC President Debbie Baldwin, the Jackie White Memorial Play Writing Contest seeks to encourage playwrights to write quality plays for family audiences. Young authors may also submit their works for consideration.
The contest is named in honor of Dr. Jackie Bromstead White. Dr. White was a playwright, a Columbia native, and former head of Rock Bridge High School’s Drama Department. She was instrumental in the early success of the contest; she created guidelines for contest readers on how to fairly critique and judge plays, many of which are still followed today. When Dr. White passed away in 1991, it was only fitting to rename the contest in her honor.
From the beginning, the contest was a success. Under the direction of Betsy Phillips, The Jackie White Competition came to be known at a national level as a contest that supports the development and production of children’s theatre plays. For many years the first and often second place winners were produced by CEC’s Theatre School. Usually, the winning authors attend the production of their plays.
If you would like to know more about the Jackie White Memorial National Children’s Play Writing Contest please contact the selection committee at artistic.director@cectheatre.org.
Read on for our 2023 winners, and information about how to enter your work for consideration!
Thank you to all of our entries into the 2023 Jackie White Memorial Playwriting Contest!
JWM aims to find the best scripts in the world written specifically to educate and invigorate audiences of children. Jackie White herself was an educator who taught to inspire the passion for theater in the next generation.
At this time, Columbia Entertainment Company is proud to announce THE WINNERS of the 2023 JWM Contest:
First Place:
The Glassblower’s Daughter or Shattered! An American Fairy Tale
Book by Zareh Artinian, Jr. Lyrics and Music by Kelvyn Koning
Brooklyn, New York
Second Place:
The D.I.Y. Fairy Godmother
By Steph DeFerie
Harwich, Massachusetts
Honorable Mention:
The Snakes of Fangore
Book by Kate Leone and John Rea Lyrics and Music by John Rea
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Congratulations to our winners! Thank you again to all submitters, who truly made the decision of our team of readers a difficult one.
Please note: These instructions refer to the 2023 contest. Stay tuned for updates for the 2024 contest!
The Jackie White Memorial (JWM) contest seeks original or adapted scripts written for young audiences. Works may be either a play or a musical. The contest has two age categories: Children (Ages 5-13) and Young Adult (ages 14-18). One winner will be chosen from each category. Playwrights can submit as many entries in each category as they wish, but each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry fee. Submitted works should be a fully completed play or musical, and should be a previously unpublished original work. Adaptations are allowed, but must follow copyright law.
Submission Requirements:
Adjudication:
Submission Process:
To submit your play or musical for consideration, please fill out the form at https://forms.gle/WkL6PkjUf1qcqeMr9. You can submit your documents via email or using the submission form– more instructions for each process are provided in the above form.
You may pay the $35 submission fee via Paypal or check. Paypal is strongly preferred.
Paypal: @cectreasurer
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/cectreasurer?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US
All PayPal payments MUST be marked with the following information:
Your Full Name
“2023 JWM Entry fee”
Play Title
Checks must be made out to Columbia Entertainment Company, with “2023 JWM” and the title of your show in the memo. Please send checks to the below address:
Columbia Entertainment Company
Attn: 2023 JWM
P.O. Box 953
Columbia, MO 65205
We look forward to seeing your entry! Please email artistic.director@cectheatre.org with any questions using the subject line “2023 JWM Question”
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances at 7:30 pm
Sunday performances at 2 pm
The mission of Columbia Entertainment Company is to enrich the community by providing quality live theatre experiences to the citizens of mid-Missouri through education and participation.