1st Place, Short Play – 2025 TCCL Young People’s Creative Writing Contest

In a poetic reimagining of the Pandora myth, Holding on to Hope explores the human struggle between curiosity, consequence, and resilience. When Pandora is gifted a mysterious box and warned never to open it, she must wrestle with divine commands, her own desire for truth, and the societal roles imposed upon her. As the spirits of Doubt, Plague, and Hope emerge, the play becomes a lyrical meditation on the power of femininity, the cost of knowledge, and the enduring necessity of hope in the face of chaos.