Anna Halza
The School of Performing Arts at Wichita State University is pleased to announce that Anna Halza, a writer, actor, and theatremaker in Norman, Oklahoma has been named the winner of the 2026 Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition for her original play, DINNERTIME: A Play in Seven Courses.
Halza is a fourth-year student at Oklahoma University and will graduate in Spring 2027 with a BFA in Drama and a BA in Professional Writing. She is the co-writer of two devised works with Co.Arts Theater Co., titled How To Smoke Three Cigarettes At Once and This City Will Eat You Alive, the latter of which she is also starring in. She is the recipient of the 2024 UReCA Grant, which supported the development of her short play, Another Beginning. Some of her favorite acting credits include: Susan, The Secretaries (2025 UReCA), Sarah, Camp Contrition (SHEDFW), and Phyllis, Body Awareness (OU Student Theater Council).
Halza’s winning script, DINNERTIME: A Play in Seven Courses, is about a woman who invites a man over to her house, ostensibly for a simple dinner date. The night takes a turn for the strange when she reveals her carnivorous intent and veers into pure absurdity when he decides to stay. Over seven courses, all with their own unique culinary constituents, the two deliberate over several philosophies: the tenets of truth and beauty, what should and should not be edible, and the undeniable pull of carnal desire. The play culminates in the ultimate act of sin and sacrifice.
From Anna’s website, she writes, “As an artist, I am deeply dedicated to creating visceral, exciting experiences for new audiences. My work is boldly unapologetic- as is my dedication to bringing art to nontraditional spaces.” Check out more about her at annahalza.com.
As part of the competition award, DINNERTIME: A Play in Seven Courses will receive a reading on September 17-19, 2026 by the Wichita State University School of Performing Arts. The reading is a cornerstone of WSU’s fall theatre season and provides a platform for emerging voices in American playwriting. Returning to WSU a third time for the Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition will be alumna and actress, Jane Gabbert, who will mentor the playwright and direct the reading.
Named in honor of Bela Kiralyfalvi, a cherished WSU professor, director, and founding member of the theatre program, the annual competition seeks to celebrate and amplify the voices of undergraduate playwrights nationwide.
For more information about the Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition, visit: www.wichita.edu/playwright
We invite you to join us in celebrating this exciting new voice in American theatre and to mark your calendars for a moving evening of storytelling this fall.
