Latinx Playwrights Circle Announces 2022 Intensive Mentorship Playwrights

Oscar Cabrera, Alisha Espinosa, Latinx Playwrights Circle (LPC) and Primary Stages have announced that the playwrights selected for this year's Intensive Mentorship are Julissa Contreras, Daniela Gonzalez y Perez, Luis Roberto Herrera, and Phanésia Pharel.

The Intensive Mentorship gives four playwrights the space and support to develop a full-length play while being partnered with a mentor to help guide the process. Participants of this program will be partnered with one of our mentors, who this year are: Migdalia Cruz, Carmen Rivera, Cándido Tirado, and C. Julian Jiménez. The mentorship aspect of the program is designed to focus on the individual needs of the play. Along with an Artist Stipend and mentorship, participants will be able to take selective classes at The Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA). Over the course of the intensive, there will be two private table reads as well as a public industry reading at participating theaters as a capstone to the program's goal of introducing artists and their work to theaters across New York City. Public staged readings will take place in May and June of 2022. We are consistently monitoring and upholding federal and state Covid-19 guidelines to keep our artists safe. Given the ongoing pandemic, we will continue to find new and interesting ways to engage with our community safety as the need arises.

Luis Roberto Herrera - At The End Of The Hall (a ghost story)

Luis Roberto Herrera is currently a New York based playwright with a B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Florida. He was a resident playwright in the GREENHOUSE Residency at SPACE on Ryder Farm. He has had work produced at the Fort Lauderdale Fringe Festival, and the New York Summer Theatre Festival. His full-length plays include; Pale Blue Dot, Poolside Glow, Born Still, Getting It Together, Grandma's Armchair, I don't know what this is..., and SAA(not that one). Poolside Glow was chosen for the New Year New Works reading series at Fantasy Theatre Factory on January 26th 2019, and was most recently a part of the Greenhouse Development Residency 2019 program at FIU. He is an ensemble member of New City Players Theatre Company and is currently in his third and final year of the M.F.A. playwriting program at The New School.

Daniela Gonzalez y Perez - Ángel Y Chupi

Daniela Gonzalez y Perez is a queer Puerto Rican playwright and actor from Brooklyn, New York. She explores the intersections between gender, race, religion, and social constructs through dramedy, fantasy, sci-fi, and that "Brooklyn Shit." Her ten-minute plays THE MARTIAN KING and UNOFFICIAL GIRLFRIEND were shown live for both Fucked-Up Play Fest!'s in 2021. Her latest full-length, ÁNGEL Y CHUPI, had a zoom reading hosted by The Latinx Playwrights Circle in 2021, that led to an invitation-only zoom reading directed by Gineiris Garcia with actors Paola Lazáro, Maribel Martinez, and Esteban Andres Cruz. Her full-length MY BROOKLYN, had a zoom reading by The Latinx Playwrights Circle in 2020. Her one-minute plays BIRD, GODLY WOMAN, and FAERIES were selected for Gi60: International One-Minute Play Theater Festival throughout the years. Her monologue BUBBLES was performed in Central and Prospect Park as part of The Living Mural in 2020.

Phanésia Pharel - Lucky

Phanésia Pharel writes from a Caribbean feminist perspective on the divine metaphysical dilemma of colored girlhood. Through Afro-futurism her plays span revolutions, islands and combat gendered violence. She explores futures built on love by centering women's pleasure, safety and joy. Honors include City Theatre National Short Playwriting Finalist, Jane Chambers Finalist, O'neill Semi-Finalist, Blank Stage "Future of Playwriting" Semi-Finalist, Bay Area Playwrights Festival Semi-Finalist. Commissions include City Theatre Miami and Thrown Stone Theatre. Residencies include New York Stage and Film, Echo Theater Company of Los Angeles and the Playwrights Center. Publishing: Concord Theatricals, Smith and Kraus Best Plays of 2020, Reset Coalition 2020 Anthology and the City Theatre Anthology.

Julissa Contreras - La Greña

Julissa Contreras, Dominicana from the Bronx, is the creator / host of the "Ladies Who Bronche" podcast and creator of the YouTube hit "Shit Spanish Girls Say". She is a storyteller, writer, poet, actor, community builder, and educator. With a focus on storytelling, program development, and community curation, Julissa elevates necessary dialogue through creating connective experiences that create pathways for meaningful change. Recently Julissa's work has been commissioned and featured in Intar Theater's MicroTEATRO festival, Atlantic Theater's African Caribbean Mixfest, Latinx Playwright's Circle's Greater Good Commision, Harlem 9's 48 Hours in el Bronx, and SolFest 2021. She is also a featured playwright and actor in the MTA Radio Plays produced at Rattlestick Theater.