PSYPF brings back alumni for Ninth Annual Festival

By AI, Created 11:21 PM UTC, May 29, 2026, /AGP/ – The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival will welcome back former winners Kayla McCarty and Xuan Ahn Ly Biggs for its Ninth Annual Festival on June 7 in Palm Springs. Their return highlights how the Riverside County program is turning student playwrights into performers, mentors and ambassadors for new work.

Why it matters: - PSYPF is using its alumni network to show how young writers can grow into working theater artists. - The return of Kayla McCarty and Xuan Ahn Ly Biggs gives the festival a visible example of long-term impact beyond a single student competition. - The festival also expands access to theater education for students across Riverside County, not just the Coachella Valley.

What happened: - The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival will hold its Ninth Annual Festival on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at 12:00 PM at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. - PSYPF is welcoming back Kayla McCarty and Xuan Ahn Ly Biggs, both former festival winners, for the 2026 event. - McCarty will serve as festival co-host and perform in Mermaid Story, written by 2026 winner Carleigh Rios of Martin Luther King High School. - Biggs will also perform in Mermaid Story. - The festival will feature staged readings of four winning plays selected from students across Riverside County.

The details: - McCarty’s winning play was featured in the 2025 festival. - McCarty later became a Top 10 Finalist in the Jimmy Awards and received the Luci Arnaz Award. - Biggs is a two-time PSYPF winning playwright, and this year marks a shift from writing to performing on the festival stage. - Mermaid Story follows a young girl who struggles to find where she belongs and discovers friendship, acceptance and love. - The 2026 winning playwrights are Allana Beckman of Valley View High School, Jason Bulanek of Canyon Springs High School, Carleigh Rios of Martin Luther King High School and Ryleigh Sanchez of Valley View High School. - The works will be directed by theater, television and film professionals and performed by actors from across Southern California. - Tickets are on sale for $10. - The festival partners with the Riverside County Office of Education to extend outreach to students throughout the county. - Selected playwrights receive professional mentorship, rehearsals with actors and directors, public staged readings and scholarships for arts education. - Greg Cope White, co-executive producer/writer of Netflix’s BOOTS and author of The Pink Marine, has mentored the winning playwrights over the past several months. - PSYPF is funded by sponsors including Cherry Lane Alternative with Angelina Fiordellisi, Anderson Children’s Foundation, The City of Palm Springs, Western Wind Foundation, Tom Valach & Jason Smith, Steve Hamilton, Kevin Stotts, Paul Reid & Thomas Hartnett, Susan and Jim Caruso, and Scott Poland & Eddie Nestlebush. - More information is available at PSYPF.org. - PSYPF can also be followed on Instagram and Facebook.

Between the lines: - McCarty and Biggs returning as performers underscores PSYPF’s role as a pipeline, not just a showcase. - The festival is pairing student-written work with professional mentorship and production support, which can help emerging playwrights move from classroom writing to public performance. - The alumni spotlight also gives the 2026 festival built-in storylines that may help attract audience interest.

What’s next: - PSYPF will stage the four winning plays on June 7 in Palm Springs. - Audience members can buy tickets and follow festival updates ahead of the event. - The festival is expected to continue supporting student playwrights through mentorship, readings and scholarships after the June showcase.