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Pandemic! A Radio Play: In the News

2/26/2021

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Check out some of the great coverage surrounding the performance of Pandemic! by Katie Lu
Playwright Katie Lu participated in the 6abc Town Hall on Sunday March 21st.

​6abc Building It Better Together Town Hall: Take Action Against Hate for Asian Americans

​Watch it here ------->
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Student Voices: Plays & Monologues that Explore Black Experiences

6/9/2020

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Philadelphia Young Playwrights has always taken its mission of giving student’s voices center stage to speak their minds about anything and everything that they experience extremely seriously. And we would be remiss if we ignored the fact that some of our playwrights experience racism and challenge those experiences into their art. So here we have collected four plays and monologues from black playwrights about their experiences of race, racism, and how despite all that they endure black joy is possible. ​
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Out of Tune
by Alise Mackey
10th Grade
out_of_tune_mackey.pdf
File Size: 296 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

ALIYAH
by Ambria Hartie
10th Grade
aliyah_hartie.pdf
File Size: 241 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Not Ready
by Rashaan Brooks
12th Grade
not_ready_brooks.pdf
File Size: 112 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

National Achievement
by Madison Baker
10th Grade
national_achievement_madison_baker.pdf
File Size: 166 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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Monologue Writing Student Advice

4/29/2020

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​Two PYP Resident Plawyrights share their advice!

Video by: Kaya Trefz
Written Guide by: Brenden Dahl

Disclaimer: These are only suggestions and you should let you creativity soar!

  1. Know your world. It helps to develop as much context as you can for your monologue. Who is your character? What are the important relationships in their life? How old are they? Where are they right now? What time period is it? What external factors inform your character’s internal conflict?

  2. Motivate your monologue. Characters will likely have a reason why they give a monologue. What was the conflict or event that prompted them to speak? Are they speaking to another character? Are they convincing someone? Telling a story? Asking a question? Reflecting on the past or experiencing the present?

    This can change throughout the course of the monologue.

  3. Find your character’s voice. Everybody has a particular way that they speak. A 70-year-old retired British professor sounds very different than a bratty toddler. How does your character sound? What kind of language do they use? Do they speak in long or short sentences? Do they second-guess themselves a lot or do they plan out what they’re going to say? 

  4. Don’t be afraid to tell a story. Monologues can still absolutely have a clear beginning, middle, and end. For the beginning, try to grab the audience’s attention while also giving context for why the character is speaking. For the middle, try to move the “plot” along while also providing plenty of detail and small twists. For the end, try to find a way to wrap up the character’s thoughts without over-explaining. Trust the audience to derive meaning from the monologue themselves.

  5. Delete half of what you write. This may sound a bit extreme, but you can often tell the same story in half of the words you originally do. What can be inferred in between the lines? How can you “show” something happening versus “telling” it? 

  6. Read it out loud. Monologues are meant to be performed. Try having a friend or family member read your monologue out loud to you and really listen to how it sounds. Does it tell the story you want it to? Does it seem natural? Does it feel too short or too long? This will likely inform your revision process.
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Candles: Press

2/6/2020

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CANDLES by Angelina DeMonte created a lot of Buzz!

"The play, a poetic portrayal of the students’ personal and political transformation, is also a direct call for action."
thINKing DANCE

"Alternatingly heartbreaking and soul-soothing, Candles tells the story of four friends whose lives are forever changed after a gunman—one of their classmates—attacks the school, killing several students."
Broad Street Review

"
Candles is Philadelphia Young Playwrights‘ first Barrymore-eligible production. It is also PYP’s first full-length, fully self-produced play. It is not, however, 10th-grader Angelina DeMonte‘s first play. She wrote that back in the eighth grade."
Generocity
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“These tragedies like we see in the play, like Parkland and Sandy Hook and Squirrel Hill, are preventable tragedies,” Milkman added. “Whether or not you’re able to vote, you can use your voice.
The Temple News
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  • Programs
    • In School Programs
    • 2025 Annual Playwriting Festival
    • Community-Based Programs
  • About
    • Mission & History
    • People
    • Alumni
    • Supporters
    • Podcast
    • Press
    • Careers
    • Donate
  • Classes
    • Current Offerings
  • On Stage
    • SaturPLAY 2025
    • Play Development Series at Rutgers Camden
    • Play Development Series at Drexel
    • Play Development Series at CCP 2024
    • New Voices 2024
  • Resources
    • PYP at Home
    • Quarantine Challenge
    • For Students
    • For Educators
    • For Parents