Two-time winning playwright Xuan Ann Ly Biggs and Jimmy Awards finalist Kayla McCarty return to PSYPF stage
Executive Director, David Youse
Former Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival Winners Return to Help Bring a New Generation of Stories to Life
PALM SPRINGS, CA, UNITED STATES, June 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival (PSYPF) is thrilled to welcome back two of its distinguished alumni, Kayla McCarty and Xuan Ahn Ly Biggs, for the Ninth Annual Festival on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at 12:00 PM at the Palm Springs Cultural Center.
McCarty, whose winning play was featured in the 2025 festival, has since earned national recognition as a Top 10 Finalist in the prestigious Jimmy Awards and as a recipient of the Luci Arnaz Award. This year, she returns to PSYPF in a dual role as festival co-host and performer in *Mermaid Story*, written by 2026 winning playwright Carleigh Rios of Martin Luther King High School.
Joining McCarty in *Mermaid Story* is Xuan Ahn Ly Biggs, a two-time PSYPF winning playwright whose work has previously been featured in the festival. While audiences first came to know Biggs through their writing, this year marks a new chapter as they step onto the stage as a performer, helping bring another young playwright's work to life.
Together, McCarty and Biggs represent the lasting impact of the Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival. Both discovered opportunities through PSYPF as young writers and now return to support the next generation of storytellers.
“Watching Kayla and Xuan-Ahn return to the festival is incredibly rewarding,” said David Youse, Executive Director of PSYPF. “They embody everything PSYPF hopes to achieve. These are young artists who found their voices through the festival and have continued to grow creatively. Seeing them now help bring Carleigh’s play to life is a wonderful full-circle moment and a reminder of why this festival matters.”
*Mermaid Story* tells the story of a young girl struggling to find where she belongs and ultimately discovering friendship, acceptance, and love. The play is one of four winning works selected from submissions across Riverside County for the 2026 festival.
Over the past several months, the winning playwrights have worked closely with this year’s mentor, Greg Cope White — Co-Executive Producer/Writer of Netflix’s *BOOTS* and author of *The Pink Marine* — refining and developing their plays in preparation for the festival’s staged readings.
The Ninth Annual Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival will feature staged readings of four winning plays selected from students throughout Riverside County. The 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. Their works will be directed by acclaimed theater, television, and film professionals and performed by a cast of talented actors from across Southern California.
Tickets are now on sale for just $10, offering audiences the opportunity to experience the next generation of theatrical voices in an exciting live staged reading event.
PSYPF partners with the Riverside County Office of Education to expand its outreach beyond the Coachella Valley to students throughout Riverside County.
The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival promotes and encourages theatrical creative writing for elementary, middle, and high school students throughout Riverside County. Selected playwrights receive professional mentorship, rehearsals with actors and directors, public staged readings, and scholarships to further their arts education.
PSYPF is funded by premier sponsors 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, whose continued support helps make the festival possible.
For tickets, festival updates, and more information, visit www.PSYPF.org.
The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the next generation of playwrights through education, mentorship, and performance opportunities.
PSYPF – David Youse 310-428-3368 • info@psypf.org
David Youse
Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival
+1 310-428-3368
info@psypf.org
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