Peter Stielstra

Peter Stielstra ’21 stars in two featured pieces in the 39th Annual Young Playwrights Festival, January 1 – 24, 2026 at Chicago Dramatists, 798 N. Aberdeen. Stielstra plays Marcus in Blizzard Bound by Sophia Ponce and Michael in Offices etc. by Clark Tavas.

For nearly four decades, the Young Playwrights Festival, the oldest such festival in the United States, has engaged and inspired high school students across Chicago by teaching them to craft one-act plays. More than 300 submissions are received annually with the winning teen playwrights’ productions being work-shopped, staged by industry professionals and receive a premiere under the auspices of Pegasus Theatre Chicago’s Young Playwrights Festival.

The regular performance schedule is Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 – $30 are available at PegasusTheatreChicago.org. Educators may schedule school group matinees via [email protected].