CLEVELAND: Dobama Theatre has announced the winners of the 40th annual Marilyn Bianchi Kids’ Playwriting Festival, which celebrates young playwrights in the U.S. Eight plays were selected from a pool of 230 submissions, and will be produced as part of the Festival in June.

This year’s winners are The Fleas Take Over by Molly Watterson, 3rd grade; Unicorn Lost in the City by Juliet Novotny, 3rd grade; Bad Products by Sienna Bokoch, 4th grade; Fairy Godmother-ish by Evelyn Rossman, 6th grade; Hiding Out by Ava Ratner, 8th grade; The Slipstream Drive by Dante Hampton, 11th grade; An Opposing Attraction by Valerie Mischka, 12th grade; Give Me the Gun by Marvin Watts, 12th grade.

“It takes a lot of courage to put something you create out into the world,” said Carrie Williams, Dobama Theatre’s education associate, in a statement. “We are incredibly proud of all the young people who shared their creativity with us this year. Reading these plays is always a delight.”

Each of the submitted plays received scores from at least three readers. The plays were judged on imagination, human values, and uniqueness of the playwright’s voice.

Besides the winners, the judges also gave a Meritous Distinction to a number of works: The Colors by Sophia Vovos, 3rd grade; The Case of the Walking Homework by Roman Gambino, 4th grade; School Shenanigans by Ryan Kachmarik, 8th grade; Sailor Boy by Ethan Baker, 8th grade; Did I Do the Right Thing? by Emma Blemaster, 8th grade; Internet-Enabled Socks by Anthony Koonce, 9th grade; Self-Conscious by Calvin Brown, 10th grade; When the Rain Stops by James Berner, 11th grade; Remember Me? by Ruben Arteaga, 11th grade; and Don’t Take Love for Granted by Taylor Love, 12th grade.

The Festival is part of Dobama Theatre’s education and outreach programming, and aims to provide a platform for children to express their thoughts, hopes, dreams, and creativity through writing original plays.