Playwrights Project has announced the winners of its 16th annual "California Young Playwrights Contest." Four original scripts will be produced as Plays by Young Writers '00 at the Old Globe's Cassius Carter Centre Stage, Nov. 8-19. The contest is open to all Californians under the age of nineteen. Top honors include a professional production in which the playwright has full participation in the artistic process and a $100 royalty award.

The winning scripts are: Old Timers by Jason Connors; Clouds by Rick Rapoza; The Broken-Winged Bird by Alexander Phillips; and So Two Guys Walk Into a Bar by Molly Lambert.

The winning scripts were selected from 103 submissions to the contest. Each young writer who enters receives constructive feedback in writing, which reflects the comments of two or more theatre professionals. The strongest scripts are sent to a panel of final readers, who select work for production. Neither initial nor final readers had access to any information about the writer such as name, age, gender or city. This year's final judges were Martin Benson (SCR); Elizabeth Bennett (La Jolla Playhouse); Jeremy Lawrence, playwright; and Annie Weisman, playwright and past contest winner.

For information call (619) 239-822.

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent