Supporting Young Playwrights!

The last couple months have allowed me two opportunities to support young playwrights in the making, one on each coast.

The first person who supported my writing (that I can remember) was Mrs. Berrum, my fourth grade teacher, who taped my first poem to the bulletin board on her wall, and left it up there all semester.  But there have been a lot of people since then...  mentors Ben Masselink and Lee Wochner, and a host of other folks who have supported me, produced my plays and encouraged my crazy compulsion to become a writer.  (I should include my patient and wonderful family in this category!)

So!  Given the opportunity to give back is a wonderful thing.

THE STATE STREET PROJECT AT PASSAGE THEATER -- TRENTON, NJ
Last month, I spent a day with the wonderful folks at Passage Theater from Trenton, NJ and a great group of kids from Emily Fisher Charter School.  Passage's "The State Street Project" employs the "playmaking" model created by the 52nd Street Project in New York.  One on one mentoring results in a ten-minute play written by each and every kid.  This batch of plays are going up at Passage Theater on June 4-5, 2011.  Check 'em out!

THE YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL AT THE BLANK THEATER -- HOLLYWOOD, CA
This is the third year I've participated in the Young Playwrights Festival, produced by the Blank Theater in Hollywood, CA -- but it's the nineteenth year that they've done it!  I love the Blank -- they've done readings of a bunch of my plays in their Living Room Series, and produced the world premiere of my play Heads.  Each of the twelve winning playwrights are assigned a mentor, who helps them through one rewrite/touch-up of their plays before they go up in full, star-studded productions that run throughout the month of June.  The plays are great fun -- and you get a chance to encourage some really talented young writers.  Go see it!

The Young Playwrights Festival

I feel lucky to have been asked again this year to be a mentor for the Blank Theater Company's Young Playwrights Festival. On Friday night, I schlepped over to the Stella Adler Theater in Hollywood to meet my playwright, Gabe Neustadt, and see the show. Despite the whole area being surreal (located one block over from Michael Jackson's star on the day after he died -- a madhouse!), I was so glad to be there!

Gabe is a 19-year old playwright from Florida who just graduated from high school, and is on his way to Harvard. A smart young man! And a good writer. His play is called "Who Is Morrie Rothline?" -- and it's an intriguing exploration of both madness and guilt. One of my favorite actors, Jeremy Gabriel, was in it. I worked with him in the original workshop production of "Infinite Black Suitcase" at Moving Arts, and in the Blank's production of "Heads." He's outstanding! So was Tom Lenk, who played the more than moderately unhinged titular character...

A great night of theater, and a great cause. Check it out next year! Support young playwrights!


Playwright Gabriel Neustadt (Who Is Morrie Rothline?) with actors Tom Lenk and Jeremy Gabriel at the Young Playwrights Festival 2009!

Go see the Young Playwrights Festival!

Check out the Young Playwrights Festival (YPF), a wonderful annual festival produced by the Blank Theater, encouraging young people to write for the stage. I'm a mentor again this year, and delighted to be part of things!

The Blank Theatre Company's 17th Annual Nationwide

YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

at the Stella Adler Theater

6773 Hollywood Blvd, 2nd Floor

Hollywood, CA 90028

June 4 -June 28, 2009

$2 Validated Parking at Hollywood & Highland Center

Each play is performed only five times in the week it is scheduled to run.

Weekly Performance Schedule:

Thurs, Fri, Sat 8PM

Sun 2PM & 7PM

This Week's Plays
Thurs-Sun: June 4-7

WHAT ALL SCHOOL CHILDREN LEARN
by Benjamin Sprung Keyser (Age 16 Los Angeles,CA)
Starring Tristen Bankston, Elena Campbell-Martinez, Spencer Daniels, Warren Davis, Angela Gibbs, Elaine Hendrix, Jack Laufer, Braeden Lemasters, Pam Levin, Austin O’Rell, Lori Quinn, Lance Shigematsu, Myk Watford

I GET KNOCKED DOWN
by Patrick Howley (Age 19 Avon, CT)
Starring Newton Kaneshiro, Henderson Wade, Adam Wylie

A. & A.
by Alexander Nunnelly (Age 17 St. Petersburg, FL)
Starring Emmy-winner Gordon Clapp and Khary Payton