YPT’s 2009 New Play Festival, an annual celebration of bold new voices is coming soon!

Join us for a workshop production of 8 of the best plays from this year’s In-School Playwriting Program.

7:00 PM
April 6, 7, 8, 2009

GALA Hispanic Theatre
3333 14th Street NW
Washington DC, 20010

Admission is FREE and open to the Public

This season YPT worked with hundreds of elementary, middle and high school students throughout the city, resulting in the creation of over 400 new plays.  The eight plays to be performed in the festival reflect the variety and depth of voices found throughout our diverse community.  We hope you will join us as we honor and celebrate the incredible work of these young people.

WAMU 88.5 is the official radio sponsor of the 2009 New Play Festival.

 To see a list of plays and playwrights click continue.

Video clips from YPT’s New Play Festival 2009.

 The Elevator, by Nora Spellane

On April 6-8, 2009 Young Playwrights’ Theater presented the 2009 New Play Festival.

There are separate photo albums for each playwright and his/her play.  Click on the image to view details for any photo. You can also view all of our photo albums by clicking here. 

New Play Festival 2009 

Tornado Boy by Antawan Taylor

A Big Sister by Samantha Mehring

In Labor of Life by Sarah Giffin

A Dedicated Gardener by Israel Nuñez

Times Up! by Ingrid Contreras

The Elevator by Nora Spellane

The Other Side of the Mirror by DeVanti Shouff

Opportunities Taken and Given by Julia Ruiz

• Keepin’ Outta’ Trouble, by Pete Hall
• A Chocolate Coated Adventure, by Sophie ReVeal
• The Black Sheep, by Gerson Blanco
• Puzzle, by Engedasew Menkir
• Destiny, by Qi Ling Li
• Terminated, by Nicole Cacozza 

Photo Albums for the 2008 New Play Festival are available here. There are separate albums for each play as well as for pictures from the rehearsal.

The slideshows below will begin automatically. Roll over the image to change the speed of the slideshow. Click on the image to view details and captions for any photo.

All photos by Liz Lynch.

New Play Festival Photo Album

Watch video from YPT’s 2008 New Play Festival. 

Interview with Engedasew Menkir, Playwright of Puzzle. 

Interview with Sophie ReVeal, Playwright of A Chocolate Coated Adventure

Opening statements by David Andrew Snider, Producing Artistic Director and CEO of YPT

On February 12, 2007 YPT’s New Play Festival was held at GALA Hispanic Theatre:

Washington pundits and politicians have a lot to say about:

immigration
the war in Iraq
homophobia
violence
drug use
abortion
teenage pregnancy
education
women’s rights

So do Washington’s Young Playwrights.  In the 2006-2007 YPT worked with the entire 11th grade of Bell Multicultural High School, resulting in the creation of over 130 new plays.

The six plays performed in the festival address some of the biggest issues of our time with boldness and creativity.  They reflect the variety and depth of voices found in a diverse city:

• You Don’t Know What You Got Until It’s Gone  by Estrella Lopez 
• Of Friends and Potheads by Lyndsey Newsome
• What Goes Around Comes Around by Francisco Garcia
• Life is Full of Struggles by Bezawit Mamo
• Impasse  by Kyle Sumner
• Life Choice by Ingrid Contreras

The slideshow below will begin automatically. Roll over the image to change the speed of the slideshow. Click on the image to view details and captions for any photo. You can also visit the full album of New Play Festival photos on Flickr.