Philadelphia Young Playwrights is reviving the alumni council! This group of alums of PYPs residencies and programs will include alumni of all ages who have participated in PYP programs in the past, coming together to have an active say in the present and future of Philadelphia Young Playwrights. The council will have a seat on the board and will meet on a regular basis with PYP staff and board members over Zoom. From student mentorship, to to fundraising to helping determine program priorities, the alumni council will be a vital part of the future of PYP!
We would love your input on determining the shape and priorities of this burgeoning council. If you are an alum, please fill out as much of this form as you'd like to help give your input on what happens next!
We would love your input on determining the shape and priorities of this burgeoning council. If you are an alum, please fill out as much of this form as you'd like to help give your input on what happens next!
Featured Alum
DANIEL KITROSSER
First Place winner, be here now (2002)
Akiba Hebrew Academy, Teacher: Susan Weisgrau
Dan Kitrosser is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and storyteller. His plays include TAR BABY (First Fringe Award, Edinburgh Fringe, and an Amnesty International Citation for Excellence), DEAD SPECIAL CRABS (monologues published in Smith & Kraus Best Men’s and Women’s…) and THE MUMBLINGS (optioned for TV series by FOX). He cowrote the screenplay for WE THE ANIMALS which premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2018, winning the NEXT: Innovator Award and will open across the country this fall. Dan is currently at TimeWarner, developing his new TV series THE MOVE about Jewish and African American relations in 1980s West Philadelphia and is writing a new screenplay for Tony Award Winning producer Una Jackman. Dan was also a the resident storyteller for Central Park and Bryant Park for much of the 2000s, and is the artistic director of Writopia Lab’s Worldwide Plays Festival, a festival of plays written by young playwrights from all over the world, now in its 8th year. MFA: The New School for Drama, 2014. Dan splits his time between Portland, Oregon and New York City.
First Place winner, be here now (2002)
Akiba Hebrew Academy, Teacher: Susan Weisgrau
Dan Kitrosser is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and storyteller. His plays include TAR BABY (First Fringe Award, Edinburgh Fringe, and an Amnesty International Citation for Excellence), DEAD SPECIAL CRABS (monologues published in Smith & Kraus Best Men’s and Women’s…) and THE MUMBLINGS (optioned for TV series by FOX). He cowrote the screenplay for WE THE ANIMALS which premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2018, winning the NEXT: Innovator Award and will open across the country this fall. Dan is currently at TimeWarner, developing his new TV series THE MOVE about Jewish and African American relations in 1980s West Philadelphia and is writing a new screenplay for Tony Award Winning producer Una Jackman. Dan was also a the resident storyteller for Central Park and Bryant Park for much of the 2000s, and is the artistic director of Writopia Lab’s Worldwide Plays Festival, a festival of plays written by young playwrights from all over the world, now in its 8th year. MFA: The New School for Drama, 2014. Dan splits his time between Portland, Oregon and New York City.
A NOTE FROM DAN—
"In three distinct moments, Philadelphia Young Playwrights catapulted me from being a kid who loved writing plays to being a playwright. When I first submitted a play to the festival in 2000, I didn't win. This could have been discouraging, but, like every other play submitted, I received a full page of written feedback from PYP. It was thoughtful, encouraging and somehow, even though it wasn't an award, I felt awarded--I was seen, and heard, and felt.
The following year, I submitted another play. And Boom! It was selected for the festival. For the first time, I was given a director, a cast, and at 18 years old, I was a playwright. I remember being in a coffee shop talking over the script with the director David Ingram. He made a suggestion for a rewrite, and I shrugged and said, "You're the expert." He immediately shook his head and said, "No. You're the expert." While I still believe in being an open collaborator, this was the first step of real authorial confidence, given to me by David, endowed by PYP.
A few years later, PYP brought me on to be a judge for the festival and to teach workshops. Even at a young age, they mentored my becoming a mentor. A few years later, as a young playwright in New York, I founded Writopia Lab's Worldwide Plays Festival, a festival of plays written by young playwrights from all over the country. We are going into our tenth season, where we have produced over 500 plays by young playwrights. As a writer, a mentor, a producer, and a person, I owe of everything to Philadelphia Young Playwrights. They're keeping this thing called the theater alive and ticking."
"In three distinct moments, Philadelphia Young Playwrights catapulted me from being a kid who loved writing plays to being a playwright. When I first submitted a play to the festival in 2000, I didn't win. This could have been discouraging, but, like every other play submitted, I received a full page of written feedback from PYP. It was thoughtful, encouraging and somehow, even though it wasn't an award, I felt awarded--I was seen, and heard, and felt.
The following year, I submitted another play. And Boom! It was selected for the festival. For the first time, I was given a director, a cast, and at 18 years old, I was a playwright. I remember being in a coffee shop talking over the script with the director David Ingram. He made a suggestion for a rewrite, and I shrugged and said, "You're the expert." He immediately shook his head and said, "No. You're the expert." While I still believe in being an open collaborator, this was the first step of real authorial confidence, given to me by David, endowed by PYP.
A few years later, PYP brought me on to be a judge for the festival and to teach workshops. Even at a young age, they mentored my becoming a mentor. A few years later, as a young playwright in New York, I founded Writopia Lab's Worldwide Plays Festival, a festival of plays written by young playwrights from all over the country. We are going into our tenth season, where we have produced over 500 plays by young playwrights. As a writer, a mentor, a producer, and a person, I owe of everything to Philadelphia Young Playwrights. They're keeping this thing called the theater alive and ticking."
ALUM PLAYS ONSTAGE IN PHILLY
Emily Acker Milk and Honey (2008) Emily Acker's play BOYCOTT ESTHER will receive its world premiere at Azuka Theatre this spring! ABOUT EMILY: Acker is a founding member of Barrymore Award-winning playwrights collective Orbiter 3. She is an alumna of The Foundry @ PlayPenn, InterAct Theatre Company's Core Playwrights Residency and Philadelphia Young Playwrights. Her work has been produced and developed at Orbiter 3, Azuka Theatre, InterAct Theatre Company, FringeArts, Theatre Exile, Act II Playhouse, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, Young Playwrights Inc., Northwestern University and Temple University. Her play I Am Not My Motherland was a finalist for the O'Neill Playwrights Conference. She contributed to the final season of All My Children on Hulu+ and is the creator of the television remake of Three Up Two Down with The Weinstein Company. She received her B.S. from Northwestern University in 2013.
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Angela Bey PEDESTALS (2014) Angela Bey's THE MEDUSA PLAY is being produced at Ursinus, where Angela is currently a senior. The last time a current student's work was produced on the Ursinus Main Stage was 18 years ago! ABOUT ANGELA: Angela Antoinette Bey (they/them) is an artist eager to continue their budding, vibrant career. A performer and playwright, Angela's work has been showcased in classrooms to concert halls. They continue their studies at Ursinus College with focuses in Theater, Africana Studies, and Creative Writing. However, Angela frequents Philadelphia as a teaching artist, intern, and actor. When not onstage or behind the scenes, they are often found picking their afro, sipping hot tea, fawning over cats, and laughing loudly with friends. |
We want to hear from you!
Did you come through one of our programs? Did we impact you? We'd love to hear what you're up to! Contact us to share with the team or to have your upcoming projects included in our quarterly newsletter. Let us know what you are up to now! |