A professional production of a first place student-written play.

Directed By: Bi Jean Ngo

The members of the Edgewater High school newspaper club are normal high school students. But then the unthinkable happens - their school is attacked by an armed student, changing their lives forever. As they try to navigate what comes next, they finally find the passion and drive to fight for something using what they know best: writing, reporting, and music.​

VIP Tickets

January 16-25, 2020
Hamilton Family Arts Center 
62 N 2nd St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Artistic Team

ANGELINA DeMONTE (Playwright) is in 10th grade at Harriton High School, and started writing plays in 8th grade at Welsh Valley Middle School with Philadelphia Young Playwrights. Her first play, Say Who Are You That Mumbles In The Dark, was selected for PYP’s New Voices Festival and was performed at Temple University in October of 2018. Since then, she has been a part of PYP’s Resident Playwrights program, where she did most of the writing for Candles. Along with playwriting, she is passionate about music, singing, and acting. She plans to continue to study the art of dramatic writing and follow her dream of becoming a professional playwright.

Bi Jean Ngo

BI JEAN NGO (Director) is a Philadelphia-based theatre actor, director, and educator. She holds an MFA from The Actors' Studio Drama School, New School University, and a Bachelor's of Science in Film and Television from Boston University. She additionally trained at Dell'Arte International, The Suzuki Company of Toga, Shakespeare and Company, and The Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski. She has appeared onstage at InterAct Theatre Company, Azuka Theatre, Arden Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Theatre Horizon, Delaware Shakes, Shakespeare in Clark Park, and more. She is proud to have worked over the years as a program actor, teaching artist, and director with Philly Young Playwrights. Bi is a 2016 recipient of the F. Otto Haas Emerging Artist Barrymore Award, the 2016 TCG Fox Fellowship Foundation Award, and the 2018 Independence Fellowship Foundation grant.

Ang Bey

ANG BEY (Amara) is a black, queer storyteller from Southwest Philadelphia. Professionally, they have worked with Shakespeare in Clark Park, Interact Theatre Company, Simpatico Theatre, TheatrePhiladephia, Theatre Horizon, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, and Sundance Institute to name a few. They are a member of the inaugural cohort of Jouska Play Works with Simpatico Theatre Company. A proud PYP alum, Ang is honored to tell this essential, moving story with this cast and creative team. angelabey.com & @theangbee on Instagram!

Danielle Coates

DANIELLE COATES (Rose Felix) is a sophomore theater major at Temple University. She is so excited to be in another Philadelphia Young Playwrights Production – audiences recently saw her as Kara in A Childish Plea. Favorite shows include: Once on this Island (Ti Moune), and Fame (Coco).

Owen Corey

OWEN COREY (Mr. Weatherbee, Alex Blaire) is thrilled to be working with PYP for the first time. He is an actor and educator based in Philadelphia, and has performed with Commonwealth Classic Shakespeare Company (Measure for Measure), Cliveden House (The Liberty to Go to See), and the Hedgerow Theatre (Three Musketeers, Moby Dick, Three Sisters, and others), and will be performing at the Please Touch Museum in the spring. He is also a member of the improv troupe Bright Invention. He is a graduate of Fairfield University, and a native of the Philadelphia region.

Tyler Elliott

TYLER S. ELLIOTT (Jace) is honored and ever-humbled to be returning to PYP for his second show. Theatre credits include: Recently, Fidel in Dot (People’s Light), Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (Lantern Theater Company), Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank (People’s Light), Sebastian in Twelfth Night (Powell House) and the Young Boy in First They Came For with PYP. He will be appearing as Wesley in Curse of the Starving Class (EgoPo Theater Company) this spring. B.A. in Theatre from Swarthmore College. Special thanks to his incredible support team.

Yannick Haynes

YANNICK HAYNES (Augustus) is excited to be working with Philadelphia Young Playwrights for the 3rd time, having already been a part of the Mouthful Monologue Festival and various school visits. Previous roles include Travis Younger in A Raisin in the Sun, Donkey in Shrek the Musical Jr., Bert in All My Sons at People’s Light, Fleance and Son of Macduff in Macbeth, Randolph MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie. He currently lives in Lansdowne PA with his family and their 4 pets, Max, Desmond, Gracie and Hamilton. He would like to thank the Arden, the Walnut, People's Light and Upper Darby Summer Stage, Friends Select and especially Philadelphia Young Playwrights for such amazing roles and theater experiences.