[NoHo Arts District, CA] – The NoHo creative community is filled with artists shaping the future of theatre, and Sarah Nilsen is one of them. As producing director of The Blank Theatre, she oversees programs that develop new playwrights and bring their work to the stage.
For more than 30 years, The Blank Theatre has focused on discovering emerging writers and producing new work. The Young Playwrights Festival selects plays written by teenagers from around the world and brings them to life with professional directors and actors, often giving these writers their first live production. The company also supports writers through the Young Playwrights Academy and the Living Room Series, offering mentorship, development, and staged readings of new plays.
We spoke with Nilsen about these programs, supporting young writers, and why access to live theatre still matters.
Sarah Nilsen isn’t just talking about the next generation of playwrights; she’s helping build it.
You’ve performed in Young Playwrights Festival productions yourself. What does it feel like to go from being on stage, giving voice to a teenager’s words to now being the person who decides which teenagers get that experience? How did that happen?!
I actually started as a volunteer with The Blank Theatre’s Young Playwrights Festival about 10 years ago. I fell in love with the festival and how much confidence is gained by these young playwrights in such a short amount of time. After volunteering for a few years, I worked my way up the ladder and am now the Producing Director of The Blank Theatre! Being able to bring a young playwright’s words to life both on and off-stage is an incredible honor as an actor and as a producer. These playwrights are able to see how much their work matters, at such a crucial age, as they watch and listen to their work from the audience.
The Blank has been developing new playwrights since 1990 – more than 30 years of betting on emerging voices before anyone else would. What problem were you originally trying to solve, and is it the same problem you’re still fighting today?
At the time, there were not a lot of resources in fostering new voices and bringing never-before-seen works to the stage. Our goal was and is to create connections and nurture emerging voices to gain the confidence to bring their work to the world. We have always said that the future of theatre is here, at the Blank, as we continue to give platforms to voices that may not otherwise be heard.
Your Young Playwrights Festival specifically seeks out teenage writers. Why that age, and what does theatre lose if nobody catches these kids early?
The Young Playwrights Festival has showcased writers from the ages of 9-19. This age group is the next generation of theatre. If we, as a community, do not lift up the voices of the next generation, there may not be a future of theatre. All writers, regardless of age, have a voice to be heard. It is imperative that the theatre community continue to amplify the voices of our next generation, as they will be the ones to continue theatre for generations.
“If we don’t lift up the next generation, there may not be a future of theatre.”
You’re running three distinct programs – The Young Playwrights Festival, the Young Playwrights Academy, and the Living Room Series. How do those pieces fit together?
Currently, our Young Playwrights Academy and Living Room Series are on a hiatus as we focus on The Young Playwrights Festival. The Young Playwrights Festival takes the 12 best scripts from playwrights ages 9-19 from across the nation, and fully produces the play or musical over a four-week festival. The playwrights are flown to Los Angeles to watch their work come to life! Once we go back to the Young Playwrights Academy and Living Room Series, the Young Playwrights Academy is an opportunity given to Semi-Finalists of the Young Playwrights Festival to further their playwriting knowledge. Through this program, participants will take classes with working playwrights to create a 10-minute play. The Living Room Series is an opportunity for all playwrights of any age to submit their new work to have a staged reading while also receiving constructive feedback to enhance their work. Some playwrights from the Young Playwrights Festival or the Young Playwrights Academy may turn their work into a full-length play. From there, we have the opportunity for their full-length work to move to the Living Room Series. These programs continually give playwrights the opportunity to grow and learn while working with and learning from other playwrights.
Stephen Karam won a Tony for The Humans. Lauren Yee became one of the most produced playwrights in America. Both came through your programs. When you see that kind of success, is that the goal, or is the real win the writer who never gets famous but never stops writing either?
While we love to see playwrights who have come through our programs succeed, the goal goes beyond just the writing itself. We want to give an experience to young people that gives confidence in all areas of their lives. Our goal is for these young playwrights to continue to use their voice in all aspects of their lives. We give them the confidence to know that their voice matters at such a young age, which launches them forward for the rest of their lives in whatever career they may choose to pursue.
If you woke up tomorrow with unlimited resources, what’s the one thing you’d change for young writers in America that The Blank can’t do alone?
One thing that I would change for all young people would be their access to live theatre. After Covid, so many people have gone deeper into their screens and have lost the real-life connection that live theatre brings. I would love to see other theaters introduce their own playwriting initiative for young writers to give access to theatre and playwriting, at such a pivotal age, to so many young people. So many young people often feel misunderstood, and need to know that their voice matters and that they have a place in theatre! Often many young people do not have access to see live theater as well. I would love to make theatre more accessible to all. We, at the Blank, offer all of our performances of The Young Playwrights Festival for free! We want to continue to provide access to theatre regardless of economic status.
There’s a teenager in NoHo right now with a story in their head they think nobody wants to hear. What do you tell them?
I can assure you that your voice matters. I have read thousands of scripts, and young writers can show more courage and honesty in their writing than some of the adults out there. Your voice can change someone’s perspective, so lean into that voice and give your art to the world.
Learn More About The Blank Theatre and Their Projects to Create the Next Generation of Theatre Lovers