US Playwright Allyson Currin on Writing for Young Audiences

"I have only written four plays for young audiences, actually, the first two (for The Kennedy Center and Imagination Stage) as simultaneous commissioned pieces. I find it fascinating that my playwriting immediately after those two projects got exponentially better. I learned so much from writing for young audiences because you have to write cleanly and leanly. Young audiences will not put up with plays that are self-indulgent or over-written. My writing for young audiences definitely made me a more streamlined, athletic writer. High School Alien at Cincinnati Playhouse reinforced all of those lessons because the development period was so dedicated and lengthy. I had the good fortune to watch so many performances of it in schools, and, most revealingly, to witness the invaluable discussions between the cast and students afterwards. Kids really listen." 

Ally's play Sooner/Later is opening at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park