The Blank Theatre Company, co-producers with Glueckman Intertainment of the world premiere of Starr Struck: A Musical Investigation, is currently accepting submissions for its "Seventh Annual Young Playwrights Festival" through April 5. Winning plays will be presented by professional actors and directors in June, 1999 at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank.This is the second time the two companies have joined forces on this project.

The rules for the festival are simple. Playwrights must be 19 years of age or younger on April 5, 1999; the original plays can be of any length on any subject matter, but must be legible; and submissions must be postmarked by April 5. All plays must include a cover sheet with the play's title, playwright's name, date of birth, school (if any), home address and home phone number.

Each winning play will be assigned a mentor who will help the playwright hone his work for performance. The play will then be mounted by industry professionals in two fully staged workshop presentations.

Past festivals have featured such well-known actors as Noah Wyle ("E.R."), Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan ("Buffy The Vampire Slayer?), Debra Messing ("Will and Grace") and Edward Asner, among others.

"The plays submitted each year continue to astound me," said Blank artistic director Daniel Henning, "but these teenage playwrights astound me even more. The past winners have been thrilled to see their plays presented by professionals, but working with these young writers has given all of the artists involved a renewed sense of purpose. We probably learn just as much from the playwrights as they learn from us." Visit the Blank Theatre Company's website at www.primenet com/-portal/ or contact festival producer Christopher Steele at (323) 662-7734.

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent