Staff

Glen Knapp, Executive Producing Director
Glen Knapp is Executive Producing Director of Philadelphia Young Playwrights, celebrating twenty-one years of tapping the potential of youth and inspiring learning through playwriting. He is a senior lecturer in theater management at the University of the Arts and Temple University, member of the board of Scrap Performance Group, board member and two-term board chair of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and has served on the Leadership Committee for Arts Education for the School District of Philadelphia and the Arts Advisory Committee of the Philadelphia Art Alliance.Glen’s career in theater, arts administration and... Expand

Amy Hodgdon, Ph.D., Director of Education and Programs
Amy Hodgdon, Ph.D. has an M.A. in Theatre from Villanova University and a Doctorate in the teaching of writing from the University of Pennsylvania. Her responsibilities include working with young playwrights and teachers to ensure that students are actively engaged in the playwriting process, helping facilitate professional development sessions, and working with student playwrights, teaching artists, and dramaturgs during the production of student plays.Dr. Hodgdon also participates in the final selection committee for the annual playwriting festival and serves as a dramaturg to students during Young Playwrights’ productions. She... Expand

Sheila Egan, General and Program Manager
Sheila recently completed her Masters in Arts Administration at Drexel University, having been awarded a Dean’s Fellowship. As an undergraduate, she majored in theatre and continues to enjoy performing occasionally when time permits. For 5 years, she worked at Bantam Doubleday Dell publishing, managing and growing its Reading is Fundamental business through its school book club division. Eager to return to theatre, she joined Johnson-Liff Casting Associates, where she worked for 2 years assisting with the casting of Broadway shows such as Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, and Cats, among many others. Expand

Judy Adamson, Finance Director and Development Manager
Judy Adamson has worked with Philadelphia Young Playwrights since 1999 helping to guide and develop the financial systems for the transition from a founder driven organization through the rapid growth of the last 10 years. She also assists with development management and other administrative functions. She has over 35 years experience in business and non-profit administrative management. She also works as a financial consultant with a range of non-profit organizations, including Research for Action, Women’s Medical Fund, and the Community Education Center. Expand

Mindy A. Early, Associate Director of Education and Programs
Mindy A. Early has a B.A. in Drama from Washington College in Maryland, and she did her graduate work in Theatre at Miami University of Ohio with a concentration in Directing. Formerly the Resident Teaching Artist and Education Associate at Philadelphia Theatre Company, during her six-year tenure there she taught over 500 workshops at nearly 40 schools.Additionally, Mindy is a director and playwright. From 2004 – 2009, she was the Artistic Director of the Cardboard Box Collaborative (CBC), a company devoted to producing emerging playwrights. While at CBC her plays Profiling, Now Serving, and “says Eugenia” (a collaboration with Stephen... Expand

Lindsay Mauck, Resource Development Associate

Lindsay graduated from Temple University with a B.M. in Music Education. She worked closely with Temple Theatres as Musical Coordinator and a performer in their productions of Ragtime (Emma Goldman) and Into the Woods (Stepmother), and recently went back as the Musical Director for Caucasian Chalk Circle. Lindsay has performed in many regional theaters including Forestburgh Playhouse (NY), New Candlelight Theater (DE), Allenberry Playhouse (PA), and Hershey Playhouse (PA). She also spent time as Assistant to the Producer and Company Manager at Maples Repertory Theatre in Macon, MO.In 2008, Lindsay co-founded and currently serves as... Expand

Foster Longo, Office Administrator
Foster graduated from Temple University with a B.M. in Music Theory. While in college, he was a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee, and worked and volunteered for various arts organizations in Philadelphia. In 2008, he interned for Young Playwrights. After his term ended, he found that he just couldn’t leave and continued to help around the office part-time. Now as Office Administrator, Foster supports the staff in a number of administrative and programmatic functions. He spends much of his time writing and performing his music across the city. Expand

Sameer Rao, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Sameer graduated from Haverford College with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. While in college, Sameer was a member of the Haverford and Bryn Mawr Bi-College Chamber Singers and the Haverford College Humtones, an all-male a capella and sketch comedy group. He also spent a summer as a Media and Marketing Intern at ImprovBoston, a Cambridge, MA-based non-profit theater, and performs locally as a musician and comedian. Sameer is this year’s Philly Fellow for Young Playwrights, building upon previous Fellows’ work in marketing and communications by managing social networking sites, promoting Young... Expand

Yuan Liu, Marketing and Web Consultant
Yuan Liu graduated from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in Studio Art and English Literature. While at Swarthmore, Yuan spent her time balancing her love of Renaissance literature with her devotion to the visuals arts as a ceramicist and the List Gallery Intern. Yuan was the first Philly Fellow for Young Playwrights. She currently works with Young Playwrights on a consulting basis.  Expand

Janine Merolla, Teaching Artist Apprentice

Janine graduated from Emerson College with an M.A. in Theatre Education. She also holds a B.A. in Theatre and English from Bucknell University. Since moving to Philadelphia, Janine has worked for Theatre Horizon’s Summer Program, teaching and collaborating with students to create original work. Currently, Janine teaches dance lessons through the Philadelphia program, “Dancing with the Students.” In her hometown of Lewisburg, PA, she started the program “Lewisburg Loft Players,” a weekly theatre workshop that enhanced basic theatre and improvisation skills to young students. She excited to be a new member of the... Expand

Nathan Wainstein, Teaching Artist Apprentice
Nathan grew up in Philadelphia, and has been a part of Young Playwrights—both as a student playwright and a mentor—since 2005. He graduated from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in Honors English Literature and a minor in Ancient Philosophy. While at college, Nathan edited the literary magazine Nacht, wrote poems and plays, and sang in the Swarthmore chorus. In 2008 he spent a summer interning with the InterAct Theatre Company. He currently lives in West Philly and sings with the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia. Expand

Anjoli Santiago, Programs Assistant
Anjoli Santiago is an actress, poet, and teaching artist who teaches playwrighting, poetry, and theater throughout Philadelphia. A graduate with a B.A. in Theater from Temple University, she has collaborated with many theaters but really found her start and her home with Philadelphia Young Playwrights. As a creative resourceful artist she has worked for Philadelphia Young Playwrights since 2005 and has worn many hats for the company as an intern, an office assistant, actor, Teaching Artist Apprentice, and currently part of their cohort of teaching artists.She is also the education director with Nova D Arts Collective and a fervent... Expand

David O'Connor, Resident Director
David O’Connor has been a teaching artist and director with Philadelphia Young Playwrights since 2004. David came to Philadelphia to pursue his MFA in Directing from Temple University, and now calls Philadelphia home. David has directed for the Arden, PlayPenn, Hedgerow, the Philadelphia Fringe and the Lantern, where he was nominated for a Barrymore and named Philadelphia Weekly’s Director of the Year for his production of “Master Harold”…and the boys. He is also a lighting, sound and projection designer, as well as an adjunct faculty member of both Temple University and University of Pennsylvania. David is... Expand

Rafael Dueño, Communications and Development Assistant
Rafael recently finished his coursework towards earning an MS in Arts Administration from Drexel University.  He did his undergraduate work at Villanova University, earning a BA in English with minors in Theatre and Business.  While at Villanova, he was actively involved with the graduate Theatre program, most notably working as House Manager for several years.  He was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where from an early age he demonstrated a strong passion for the arts.  Of the many art forms he explored, writing and theatre were prevalent favorites, making Young Playwrights a perfect symbiosis of interests. He joined the... Expand