Westport Country Playhouse Opens Registration For Middle School Playwriting Program

WESTPORT, CT — Westport Country Playhouse has opened registration for Playhouse Playmakers, a seven-week education program for middle school students in grades 6-8.

The program will meet Sundays from Oct. 11 through Nov. 22, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Students will work together to create an original play, culminating in a staged reading for an invited audience of family and friends. Memorization is not required.

Participants will learn the fundamentals of playwriting, storytelling, production and acting while writing, revising and rehearsing their work. Students also will have an opportunity to hear their writing read aloud by professional actors.

"Playhouse Playmakers nurtures imagination, confidence, and teamwork — while giving young artists the unforgettable experience of sharing their original voices in a professional theatrical setting," program director Evette Marie White said. "Playhouse Playmakers celebrates the students’ creativity and the collaborative journey of bringing a brand-new play to life."

White is an actor, playwright and educator who has worked with young artists for more than a decade. A native of Chesapeake, Virginia, she studied musical theater at Howard University in Washington.

White toured in "Ghost the Musical" and has performed in shows in the U.S., Asia and Australia, among other locations. She currently teaches for Learning Through an Expanded Arts Program, or LEAP, as a teaching artist. She has coached several New York City finalists for The Next Narrative Monologue Competition at the Apollo Theater, hosted by Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company.

The program will conclude with an invited performance at 3 p.m. Nov. 22 on the Playhouse stage.

Tuition is $575 and includes seven sessions, a technical rehearsal, materials and four complimentary tickets to the performance. Scholarships covering the full cost of classes and transportation reimbursement are available. Enrollment is limited to 15 students.

Program details and an application are available at westportplayhouse.org/playhouseplaymakers. Questions about the program or scholarships can be directed to education coordinator Maggie Meath at mmeath@westportplayhouse.org.

Playhouse Playmakers is supported by the Rhimes Foundation. Barbara Streicker is the Playhouse’s 2026 programming and season sponsor. Moffly Media and WSHU Public Radio are media sponsors.

Westport Country Playhouse is a nonprofit organization located at 25 Powers Court in Westport. More information about Playhouse events is available at westportplayhouse.org.