Pegasus Theatre Chicago announces the cast and that tickets are now on sale for the 39th Annual Young Playwrights Festival, January 1 - 24, 2026 at Chicago Dramatists, 798 N. Aberdeen. Previews are Thursday, Jan. 1 and Friday, Jan. 2 at 7pm and Saturday, Jan. 3 at 2:30 p.m. with the Opening Ceremony and press performance, Sunday, Jan. 4 at 2:30 p.m. The regular performance schedule continues Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 - $30 are available at PegasusTheatreChicago.org. Educators may schedule school group matinees via 
YPF@PegasusTheatreChicago.org.
For nearly four decades, the Young Playwrights Festival, the oldest such festival in the United States, has engaged and inspired high school students across Chicago by teaching them to craft one-act plays. More than 300 submissions are received annually with the winning teen playwrights’ productions being work-shopped, staged by industry professionals and receive a premiere under the auspices of Pegasus Theatre Chicago’s Young Playwrights Festival.
Top Row (L to R): Sophia Ponce and Clark Tavas. Bottom Row (L to R): Lola Zimmerman and Ashley Snyder
The 39th Young Playwrights Festival includes:
Blizzard Bound
by Sophia Ponce (Whitney Young Magnet High School, Teacher Elizabeth Danesh), directed by ILesa Duncan
In a hurry to close up shop, a blizzard traps the owner of a convenience store with last minute customers.
Offices Etc.
by Clark Tavas (Lane Tech College Prep, Teacher Dane Haiken), directed by Anna C. Bahow
An office worker is desperate to find someone (anyone!) who knows how to operate Excel spreadsheets.
A Question
by Lola Zimmerman (Senn High School, Teacher Harper Case), directed by Ben Locke
A pair of strangers sit on a park bench and reflect on life as an asteroid hurtles towards earth.
Toil & Trouble
by Ashley Snyder (Lane Tech College Prep, Teacher Dane Haiken), directed by ILesa Duncan
When three sisters reunite to cast an ancient spell, long-held resentments are soon exposed. As tempers flare, the spell reveals something far more potent than anticipated…
The cast for the 2026 Young Playwrights Festival includes Shelby Marie Edwards, Leah Huskey, Rich Lazatin, Diego Rivera-Rodriguez, Kianna Rose and Peter Stielstra. The understudies include Emmett Knee, Mia Marks, Karli Scott and Aaron Warrow.
Top Row (L to R): Shelby Marie Edwards, Leah Huskey, Rich Lazatin, Kianna Rose, Diego Rivera-Rodriguez and Peter Stielstra. Bottom Row (L to R): Emmett Knee, Mia Marks, Karli Scott and Aaron Warrow
The production team includes: Anna Bahow, IIesa Duncan and Ben Locke (directors); Manuel Ortiz (scenic designer); Brenden Marble (lighting designer); Saawan Tiwari (costume designer); Wendy Ann (props designer); Zach Stinnett (sound designer); Melanie Thompson (production manager) and Maryah Paige (stage manager).
ABOUT ILESA DUNCAN, director of Blizzard Bound and Toil & Trouble
Ilesa Duncan is the executive and producing artistic director at Pegasus Theatre Chicago. Her recent directing work includesShakin’ The Mess Outta Misery, Rutherford’s Travels (co-adapter), For Her as a Piano and Blacula at Pegasus, Darlin’ with Step Up Productions, Broken Fences at 16th Street Theater, the Jeff Award-nominated The Nativity with Congo Square and the Jeff Award-winning Jar the Floor at ETA Creative Arts. Duncan has also worked with Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Lifeline Theater, Stage Left and Chicago Dramatists, as well as Contemporary American Theatre Company (Ohio), The Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Arena Stage (Washington DC) and Lincoln Center Theater (New York). Her creative nonfiction short stories have been published (Columbia College Chicago) and she’s written poems and screenplays. For the stage, she was a co-writer and director of Blakk Love: Stoeez Of A Darker Hue and facilitated the group writing project Portraits (2007) for the Chicago Foundation for Women and the devised project Do You See What I’m Saying for Chameleon.
ABOUT ANNA C. BAHOW, director of Offices Etc.
Anna C. Bahow is a Chicago-based theatre director, producer and new play dramaturg committed to the development of new work and a diversity of voices. Drawing on her design and visual arts background, she often expands the theatrical experience through design, multimedia, live music and movement. She is an artistic associate with Silk Road Cultural Center which foregrounds Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern artists and a founding associate artist with The International Voices Project which brings plays from around the world in translation to Chicago. Bahow has received an After Dark Award for directing and productions have received Jeff Awards for New Work and Use of Multimedia. She was a directing fellow at Goodman Theatre, a 3Arts WAVE recipient. As an educator, she has taught workshops at several universities and created programming that has served international audiences promoting global understanding and volunteerism.
ABOUT BEN LOCKE, director of A Question
Ben F. Locke is a Black, Queer and nonbinary Chicago writer, actor, director, casting director and producer. They have a double degree in theatre and human services from Millikin University, graduated from the School at Steppenwolf and Boston University's Graduate Program for TV/film writing. They have worked with Steppenwolf, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Court Theatre, Drury Lane, Bramble Theatre and more.
ABOUT PEGASUS THEATRE CHICAGO
Pegasus Theatre Chicago has been a mainstay in the Chicago theater community for more than four decades. Its mission is to champion new, authentic voices and produce boldly imaginative theatre primarily by and about black or other people of color. Home of the Young Playwrights Festival, the company promotes cultural equity while celebrating intercultural communication. Pegasus is committed to initiating important conversations through the arts with strong community engagement and socially relevant programming. The Young Playwrights Festival for high school-age scribes celebrates its 39th year in 2026. Pegasus Theatre Chicago has received 77 Joseph Jefferson Awards since its inception.
The 39th Young Playwrights Festival is made possible with the generous support of Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation at Field Foundation (ART), and Polk Bros. Foundation. The Festival is also made possible in part by a CityArts grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and an Illinois Arts Council Agency grant.