From the success of Matilda on Broadway to the 2015 revival of Annie in movie theaters, it’s clear that theater with and for young people has widespread and enduring appeal. Despite this, there is no contemporary guide designed for playwriting for youth in professional and educational contexts.

In Playwriting and Young Audiences, Matt Omasta and Nicole B. Adkins put this right. Providing a range of perspectives, the book collects the practical advice and wisdom of seventy-five artists and practitioners. It is a deeply poignant account of those who have dedicated their lives to work that applauds the dignity and depth of young people.

Matt Omasta is associate professor in and assistant head of the Department of Theatre Arts at Caine College of the Arts, Utah State University. Nicole B. Adkins is an award-winning playwright, artistic associate with YouthPLAYS, and core faculty in the Playwright’s Lab graduate program at Hollins University, Virginia.