Nicole Jost writes strong
female characters who advocate fiercely for their rights
and desires.
The power of her
voice first became apparent to YPT in 2002 when she
wrote The Fear and The Pope as a sophomore in
the In-School Playwriting Program at Wilson High School.
That play featured the exploits of two criminal
masterminds as they balanced the promise of love against
the possibility of a life of wealth and power.
Jost says of her
first experience writing with YPT, "I loved the freedom
to write about anything I wanted. We never had to get
into a debate about content. It was so freeing and
wonderful. Before YPT I had never done writing for
fun before." Prior to her work with YPT
Nicole had only been exposed to musical theater.
Inspired by her new experience, she became a Producer
with the Wilson Players and advocated forcefully for
more politically relevant productions. "Nothing stuffy,"
she said. "I pushed for Kushner and Vonnegut."
In 2004, YPT contacted Nicole
again and requested her permission to make her play part
of the Express Tour. Although she was honored, the
18-year-old Nicole found it difficult to relate to her
own writing from just a few years before. "It was so
clearly from a 15-year-old's point of view," she said.
Although she is critical of her
own writing as a high-schooler, she is beaming with
pride about the work of her own students. As an
Intern this summer with YPT, she co-taught the Dramatics
program at Bell Multicultural High School. "I gotta say,
looking at my play compared to how the Bell students
wrote, I was kind of a moron."
Very few would agree with this
assessment. Nicole is now a senior at the University of
California, Santa Cruz, studying Theater and Cultural
Politics, a major of her own devising. In her
latest work, Finding Love in Any Kingdom,
Nicole cleverly uses the fairy tale genre to reveal
enduring truths about love across conventional
boundaries. Nicole doesn't pull punches when making a
point.
To quote a character
from her 1993 play, she's an "intelligent and
resourceful woman. I suggest you show the appropriate
respect for her abilities."
For more stories
about YPT's Promising Playwrights click here.
With the
start of the new school year, YPT is headed back into DC
schools. 
YPT Students Featured at 
Adventure
