BIPOC Student Submission Winner – Cecilia Bermudez
In 2024, the BIPOC Student Submission Contest was started to encourage young playwrights of color to write for the field of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA). There are many different communities and cultures out there, so it is essential to find writers dedicated to ensuring that those youth narratives are told.
For the contest, student playwrights were recommended by their instructor to send writing samples. Then, members of the TYA BIPOC Superhero Project administrative team selected the winner based on the quality of the written submission as well as the potential to write stories in this field.
The winner, Cecilia Bermudez, originally from Canton, Michigan, is currently a student at the University of Michigan. She is planning to study English and Theatre Arts with a concentration in Playwriting. She says she has been interested in writing for as long as she can remember, and officially declared her plans to be a writer when she was moved to the upper-level reading group in elementary school.
Cecilia has enjoyed exploring her interest in creative writing through fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and playwriting. She draws inspiration from comedic writers like Conan O’Brien, Tina Fey, and Mindy Kaling. When the weather warms up in Michigan, Cecilia loves to work out in the sun with an iced coffee, and for the rest of the year, she prefers writing in her room with her favorite pumpkin candle lit.
Her play, Stella Sanchez and the Supernova, was inspired by her childhood love of superheroes (she dressed up as Wonder Woman four Halloweens in a row) and the strong influence of her family. She hopes to continue developing the piece and begin work on new original plays soon.
Stella Sanchez and the Supernova heroine – Lady Luna Starlark
Lady Luna Starlark is an immortal heroine from the galaxy of Andromeda. Born to a high-ranking noble family, she was expected to marry and rule their planet, never to leave. But plans can change.
Lady Starlark was blessed with the power of the cosmos on her 15th birthday. She gained special powers—photon fists, lunaportation, lunar manipulation, and her signature Cosmic Kick, of course.
Lady Starlark wasn’t only known for her supernatural powers. She was also crafty, super smart, and stunningly defiant. So it was no surprise when one dark night, she snuck away from her family’s manor and flew a ship (that she crafted herself) into the galaxy.
And so began her story. Space royalty turned space cowgirl, Lady Starlark, listened to calls from the stars and busted bad guys across the galaxy.
Strengths: Enhanced agility and senses, lunarportation, lunar manipulation, photon fists, cosmic kick. Weaknesses: Power depletion when away from her connected stars for too long, weakened powers when the moon is not out.