National Latine Playwrights Award & Festival

ATC will celebrate 2025 NLPA Winner Edwin Sánchez for his winning play, Lottery Boy, with its second year hosting the National Latine Playwrights Award & Festival at Tempe Center for the Arts on Saturday, October 4, 2025. The festival invites the community to enjoy a staged reading of Lottery Boy, an awards ceremony honoring Sánchez, and a post-show roundtable discussion.

Arizona Theatre Company began presenting the National Latine Playwrights Award 30 years ago to create a greater awareness of historically excluded Latine writers’ stories. Under the leadership of ATC Playwright-in-Residence and NLP Award & Festival Director Elaine Romero, the award has honored many outstanding works by Latine playwrights who have achieved remarkable success throughout the country.  

ATC is partnering with a number of community organizations for the NLP Award & Festival. Monica Villalobos, president of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, is emceeing the event, and Jerry Ruiz, Associate Professor at ASU’s School of Music, Dance, and Theatre is directing the reading. A one-of-a-kind award crafted by notable Phoenix artist Zarco Guerrero will be presented to Sánchez during the festival. Other partners include Xico and Arizona Mexico Commission.  

Lottery Boy features a life transformed by money. At just 15 years old, Paco suddenly finds himself the winner of one of the largest lottery jackpots ever. But more money means more problems, more betrayals, and Paco finds that he is no longer sure which world he belongs in. He goes through the highest highs and the lowest lows as he realizes the only person he trusts isn’t really there. The play cleverly pierces the veil between this world and the next as Paco discovers the true power of his late father’s love.  

Tickets will be available closer to the event date. For the most up-to-date information, be sure to join our email list!