2026 Theatre for Young Audiences Award
Supported by the Estate of Rachel Wyatt
Caged by Rachel Aberle
How can you navigate a relationship when you don’t even know what a healthy one looks like? After a summer apart, teenage friends Ronnie and Jas reunite at their dedicated hang-out spot, where their friendship and shared memories have always been a safe refuge. But everything shifts when Ronnie brings along her new boyfriend, Trev, a charming yet increasingly controlling presence. Trev’s influence quickly begins to seep into every corner of Ronnie’s life, from her dance practice to her friendship with Jas. Subtle red flags start to emerge. Ronnie is torn between the demands of her new relationship and her deep connection to her friend and is left grappling with the question of what exactly constitutes abuse.
The peer assessment panel said: “Caged is a moving, relevant look at troubling relationships. The conflict is clear and complex, the characters’ struggle has deep emotional resonance. An affecting, accomplished piece of writing.”
Rachel Aberle has been selected to receive the PARC Playwrights’ Retreat auxiliary prize.
Rachel Aberle is an award-winning playwright, dramaturge, and author. With a background in theatre performance, Rachel’s writing is known for its sharp dialogue, strong characterization, and exploration of life’s uncomfortable grey areas. Her plays for teen audiences, Still•Falling (Jessie Richardson Theatre Award – Significant Artistic Achievement) and The Code (Sydney J. Risk Prize for Outstanding Original Play by an Emerging Playwright) are published as a duo by Talonbooks and have toured across North America with Vancouver’s Green Thumb Theatre. In 2026, Rachel’s new plays The Watch List and Caged premiered with Saskatoon’s 25th Street Theatre and Green Thumb Theatre respectively. Rachel lives on the traditional territory of the Lhtako Dene People in Quesnel BC with her husband Kyle, daughter Elliot, and two ridiculous chihuahuas. Rachel is currently working on her first novel.
Special thanks to Theatre for Young Audiences Award Peer Assessment Panelists: Dennis Foon (Chair), Monica DuFault, Jenna Rodgers.