Rising Playwrights

Playwrights Project is no youngster anymore, though its youngsters still write plays. It’s 25 years old, having been born in what was the Gaslamp Quarter Theater. Now, Plays by Young Writers, a festival of California Young Playwrights Contest winning scripts, returns to the familiar setting of the Lyceum Theatre in downtown San Diego. As these young playwrights find their voices and express their perceptions of the world, audiences will be astonished, amused, and even resistant to what’s up there on the stage. These kids are either fearless, or don’t know what not to say. So, the scripts are usually honest, sometimes irreverent, and, at their best, wonderfully inventive. If past productions are any indication, there will be a lot of writing talent showcased at this festival, which runs February 18-28. (619/239-8222, www.playwrightsproject.org)   DARLENE G. DAVIES