She’s only 25 years old, but College of Arts and Sciences writing lecturer Molly Metzler is already bringing in the winnings on her first work.

Metzler won the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival’s Regional One Mark Twain National Award for Comedy, for her play ‘Training Wisteria.’

She will accept the award at the national festival in April. KCACTF will present her with $4,000, a publication by the Dramatic Publication Company and a two-week invitation to the Sundance Institute.

The festival chose Metzler’s play out of ‘hundreds of college productions all over New England,’ according to Kate Snodgrass, artistic director of the BU’s Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, where the play was produced in October.

Snodgrass entered the play into the competition, saying she knew ‘it was a perfect choice for this comedic writing award.’

‘It’s a good play that is structurally solid, very funny and full of great characterization,’ she said. ‘Also, Metzler never quits. She just keeps honing until it’s as perfect as she can get it.’

Metzler, on the other hand, said she did not expect to win.

‘It’s my first play and I’m only 25,’ she said. ‘That’s two strikes against me already. But then again, I didn’t even think it was a comedy. To me, it’s always been a drama.’

Snodgrass agreed, but said the award’s only criterion was to have the best comedic writing. While the play is a drama, it was Metzler’s ability to transpose her sense of humor into her writing that made her play worthy of the award, Snodgrass said.

The play began as a ‘six-page sketch about a mother and a son fighting’ when Metzler was first penning it for one of her BU graduate classes, Metzler said. But, as she said, she finished ‘giving birth to it’ and watched it grow into a five-character, two-act play that ‘attempts to expose how painful a divorce is for a family today.’

‘It also tries to show hopefulness,’ Metzler said. ‘This is a family that really loves each other and is starting to pick up the pieces.’

Metzler’s own family inspired the fictional family of mother, father, Dylan, Rachel and Kacie.

‘It’s my dramatization of the family that I adore,’ she said. ‘What saved us was our laughter, and the bond between my mom and my brother,’ just like it does in the play, she said.

Nonetheless, inspiration alone could not write and rewrite a play. Many people contributed to the ’98 percent done’ piece, Metzler said.

Specifically, ‘David Walcott, Kate Snodgrass, the playwrights in the program and my family were very helpful,’ as well as the cast, crew and director, she said.

‘Everyone involved in the production just rocked,’ Metzler said. ‘I can’t imagine anyone else in any of the roles. They did such a wonderful job and will always be Wisteria to me.’

Metzler could still win the festival’s national award, which would add $2,500, a publication by Samuel French Incorporated and another week at Sundance to her award. She will be notified of the results on March 7.

In the meantime, she continues to perfect ‘Training Wisteria,’ while starting another play.