Young Playwright's Theatre - ARCHIVE
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March 9 - 31, 2004
Youth or Dare Performance
Series |
Reviewed March 16
Running time 2 hours
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The Young Playwrights' Theatre's main activity
is encouraging DC youth to put their ideas down on paper as scripts which
can be performed on stage. It is a process that stimulates creativity,
provides an outlet for expression, brings kids together in positive
activities and gives voice to some very real concerns. With the "Youth or
Dare Performance Series" some of these scripts are put on stage in the hands
of professional performers under the direction of Nick Olcott, a well known
director whose work has been seen at Round House, MetroStage, Theater J and
other houses throughout the region. The current package include some works
seen in last October's sampler program as well as a new play by Woodrow
Wilson Senior High School student Nick Jost.
Storyline: This is a sampling of works by
local writers between 14 and 17 years old. The short plays Unpopular
by Monet Belle, Lazy Eye by Carlos Ticas, New in Town by
Cherise Alexander and Maria Like Art by Rebecca Heimlichs are
presented along with interludes of poems from the D. C. Writers Corps before
intermission. A lengthier new work, Fear and the Pope by Nick Jost,
follows the break.
In
Unpopular Monet Bell, 17, wrote of the pain of not being accepted by
her peers as her principal character’s concern over her weight problem
drives her to overeat. Carlos Ticas,
also 17, wrote about how simply going along to get along can end in disaster
in his play Lazy Eye.
Cherise Alexander of Woodrow Wilson High was 14 when she wrote New In Town. One
contribution comes from the Philadelphia Young Playwrights program. Rebecca
Heimlich was 17 when she penned Maria, Like Art about a rape victim who uses spray mural painting to express her
pain.
The new play is
Fear and the Pope, a piece
that doesn't seem to be able to make up its mind if it is a spoof of film
noir, a serious tale of youth alienation, or a black comedy in which outlandish acts seem logical to their
perpetrators. The plot revolves around events leading to the kidnapping of
the Pope. Tara Garwood provides energy and intensity as the spirited lead
in the piece and Anthony Gallagher also keeps the energy level up, but Wendy
Nogales as the chief perpetrator lets the focus wander too much.
Seven performances of the set are scheduled for various venues.
The schedule is:
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March 9 - Nannie J. Lee Center in
Alexandria
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March 16 - Nannie J. Lee Center -
March 18 - Nannie J. Lee Center -
March 23 - Jefferson Auditorium,
Department of Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW -
March 30 - Carnegie Institution, 1540 P
Street NW -
March 31 - Carnegie Institution
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October 16, 2003
Youth or Dare |
A sampler of this year's tour
of young people's plays |
Each
year the Young Playwright’s Theater mounts a tour of some of the best work
of the inner-city youth who participate in their playwriting program - and
each year the results are truly impressive. This year, like every year, the
range of topics, attitudes, viewpoints and modes of expressions evidenced by
the plays selected for production for the tour are remarkable.
Now, it may be that the professional directors have done good work
highlighting the strengths and disguising the weaknesses of the pieces - but
the strengths had to be there in the first place. The directors could only
work with what the kids brought to them, even if those directors were Abel
López of GALA, Tom W. Jones II (now in Topdog/Underdog at Studio Theatre),
Janet Stanford of Imagination Stage, Tom Prewitt of Woolly Mammoth, Karin
Abromaitis of Horizons Theatre and Molly Smith of Arena.
It
may also be that the performances of the talented young professional actors
who appear in the pieces give a boost to the humor and the pathos and the
humanity of their roles, but they each start with the characters created in
the minds of the writers.
Yesenia Nuñez, 13, wrote of a young girl running away from home to join the
circus where she became The Human Cannonball, Monet Bell, 17, wrote
of the pain of being Unpopular as her principal character’s concern
over her weight problem drives her to over eat, and Nicole Hawkins produced
the playlet Gracious at age 14.
Seventeen year old Carlos
Ticas wrote Lazy Eye, about how simply going along to get along can end in
disaster.
Cherise Alexander of Woodrow Wilson High was 14 when she wrote a marvelously
constructed short play in which her principal character has a nightmarish
experience on her first day of school in New In Town.
A
group of children ages 8 to 12 developed a decidedly contemporary view of
Li’ll Red in Da Hood with bright observations such as dissing the
importance of Jack (of beanstalk fame) because he was busted for stealing
all those things from the Giant.
One
contribution comes from the Philadelphia Young Playwrights program. Rebecca
Heimlich was 17 when she penned Maria, Like Art. Here Jiehae Park brings to life her
character of a rape victim who uses spray mural painting to express her
pain.
The
annual fund raiser for the Young Playwrights’ Theater was held in the lovely
theater of the Carnegie Institution. It offered glimpses of these works. But
the full plays are being performed in schools and community centers around
the region. Free public performances are being held Saturday morning at the
Imagination Stage in Bethesda and then on Wednesday evening October 29 on
the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center.
Sampler program hosted by Karen Zacarías.
Composers Gabriel Benn, Brent Munch and Deborah Wicks La Puma. Choreography
by Karin Abromaitis. Design: Eileen Daly (set) Jessica Sherlock (scenic
artist) Mark Andus (sound) Wendy Nogales (stage manager.) Cast: Diane
Cooper-Gould, Franklin Dam, Saskia de Vries, Ricardo Frederick Evans,
Anthony Gallagher, Kelly Gardner, Mildred Langford, Jiehae Park, Jefferson A.
Russell. |
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May 18 – 22, 2002
Pieces of Life |
Reviewed May 18
Running time 1 hour |
Thirty-five young playwrights participating in the Communitywrites! youth
outreach program worked with their sponsors, especially project manager and
playwright Paco Madden, to create a real live musical with some of the
Potomac Region’s fine professionals contributing as director, composer,
arranger and performers. The result retains the charm of the youthful source
of the material but has a polish to its presentation that makes it
entertaining for those who may not know anything about the background of the
piece or any of the youngsters. It was premiered Saturday night at the
Carnegie Institution of Washington and will be repeated Wednesday, May 22 at
6:00 in a free performance on the Millennium Stage in the main lobby of the
Kennedy Center.Storyline: Two families prepare to move to Washington,
DC. One family will come by car from Georgia and the other will emigrate
from Latin America. Each family member brings a unique personality to the
group who add to the whole. They sing about it being "So Hard To Say
Goodbye;" then there is a travel sequence "Going to Washington, DC." Finding
apartments occupies the adults while the kids explain what a "Home Is." The
adults also search for jobs ("The Job Application Blues") and face such
difficulties as finding child care and transportation to possible jobs. The
father of the Latin-American family and the mother of the family from
Georgia meet and discover that their families can help each other through
these rough times.
There is no indication in the program as to which of the 35 playwrights
contributed which detail, but together they came up with a structure that
works very well indeed. The story is clearly told, has intriguing twists and
involves clearly defined individuals. While there is a certain youthful
hopefulness about the entire story, it doesn’t shy away from some of the
harsher realities of life as one family is split by spousal abuse, the
limitations of finances face both households, friendships are severed and
new friendships are only haltingly begun. But the new start for each family
is seen in the most positive light and the strong bonds of family devotion
are clear. It is a good piece of work to which the professional musical
contributions are added.
The songs are the work of veteran composer Joan Cushing. She may be best
known in the Potomac Region for her classic revue Mrs. Foggybottom and
Friends but her credentials in programming for kids are impeccable. Her
latest original musical was the delightful Miss Nelson is Missing
produced at BAPA’s Imagination Stage. Working with her to provide
arrangements is Deborah Wicks La Puma who was nominated for a Helen Hayes
Award for outstanding musical direction a year ago for her work at Studio
Theatre’s Second Stage. Nick Olcott, one of the Potomac Region’s most
respected directors, took the helm to put this package on stage, providing
very clear blocking to keep the story moving.
A cast of familiar faces and newcomers brought the brightly sketched
family members to life while Laura VanDruff and Glen Gordon did the same for
a variety of supporting roles (each had at least half a dozen characters.
Written by Jessica Alvarez, Shaina Alvarez, Angelica Amaya, Jenyfer
Arevalo, Andy Ayala, Darrell Barr, Ashley Blackmon, Edwin Borreto, Evelyn
Chappell, Eric Cisneros, Jamese Easley, Jessica Guzman, Mishell Hernandez,
Philip Hunyh, Noemi Juarez, Josue Lopez, Reaiah McLean, Timothy McLean,
Palesa Motshidi, Khanhmi Nguyen, Lynda Nguyen, Kevin Oliver, Anthony
Perkins, Aaron Quattlebaum, Alba Romero, Ronald Romero, Arletha Smith,
Deonte Smith, Jasmyn Smith, Merari Soto, Maeisis Ventura, Raven White,
Semiyah White, Tyler White, Dalane Yates. Directed by Nick Olcott. Project
management and playwright Paco Madden. Composed by Joan Cushing. Arranged by
Deborah Wicks La Puma. Music Direction by Christopher Youstra. Sound design
by David Wilson. Cast: Michaell Bobbitt, Andrea Chudnow, Matt Conner, Glen
Gordon, Korinne Loynes, Maya Martin, Talia Segal, Brian Thorne, Laura
VanDruff, Rachel Webb. |
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