YOUNGSTOWN, OH (March 28, 2025): The Youngstown Playhouse proudly announced the winners of the First Juneteenth Festival Playwriting Contest on Sunday, March 2nd during the intermission of the production of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. Dr. Lundea M. Thomas, Director of Gem of the Ocean and Conductor of the Playwriting Contest and the Juneteenth Festival of New Works, presented the winners with plaques and honorary certificates.

First Prize honors were given to: Torah Adams-Lewis for her play titled, Murder in a Small Town: When Secrets Kill; a tie for the second prize was given to Ariel Alli’s play, Angel Song and Michele Day’s play, Weary in Well Doing. Third prize was presented to Ramona Austin for her play, It’s Time. Each recipient received monetary awards as well as certificates. Additionally, Honorable Mentions were given to Sherry A. Franklin-Berry for her play, Deliverance is Available to Me; Yvonne Burt-Carter’s Breaking Barriers; and Melvin L. North Jr.’s Give Them What They Want; Give Them What They Need.

All plays will receive Staged Readings at the Playhouse’s Juneteenth Festival of New Works, which will be presented Thursday, June 19th at the Youngstown Playhouse and Friday, June 20th at the McGuffey Centre in Youngstown at 7pm each evening. Auditions for the roles will take place Saturday, April 26th at the Youngstown Playhouse and May 3rd at the McGuffey Centre. This program is supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions form the Ohio Arts Council. 

Anyone interested in auditioning for the plays should contact Dr. Lundeana Thomas at (502)-210-1252.