Student Plays Given Star Treatment in Philadelphia Young Playwrights' 2010 Professional Productions

The work of Philadelphia area student playwrights will be brought to life on stage during Philadelphia Young Playwrights' 2010 Professional Productions, presented by PNC Arts Alive, from March 2 - 5, 2010. Fully staged professional productions of winning student plays will be performed by professional actors and directed by David Bradley, a long-time Young Playwright's teaching artist and member of People's Light & Theatre Company.

The program will feature the monologues F.A.T. by Kya S. Johnson of Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls in Northeast Philadelphia and Torn Between by Aimee Leong of Center City's Science Leadership Academy - both winners of the 2009 Young Voices High School Monologue Festival. It will also feature the play Milk and Honey written by Emily Acker while a student at The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr. Milk and Honey is also a winner of the 2009 Young Playwrights Inc. National Playwriting Competition.

Part of Young Playwrights' Play Development Series, the performances offer students the extraordinary opportunity to work closely with award-winning professional directors, dramaturges, actors and stage crew, and have their work featured on the main stage of the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, home of Philadelphia Theatre Company, located at 480 South Broad Street on the Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Performances are open to the general public with ticket prices ranging from $10-15, with free admission for school groups. For more information, visit www.phillyyoungplaywrights.org or call (215) 665-9226. [A full schedule of performances and ticket information follows below.]

The themes of the 2010 Professional Productions are Peace and Self-Discovery. The student-penned works explore these topics alongside issues of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity.

"The student works featured in this year's program look at how we as individuals relate to, or are in opposition with our family, our community and the world at large," says Glen Knapp, Executive Producing Director of Young Playwrights. "The courageous visions brought to life in Kya and Aimee's monologues and Emily's play find young people journeying forth to make peace with these other identities to find their own place in the world. These are mighty subjects, and we are proud to feature the compelling talents and messages of these young playwrights."

As part of the Professional Productions series, Young Playwrights will offer several enhanced evening programs which serve to engage the public and generate dialogue among students and theatergoers. An accessible preview performance on March 2, in partnership with Independence Starts Here! led by Art-Reach and VSA arts of Pennsylvania, will be sign interpreted and captioned, and will feature Braille and large print programs. The March 3 evening performance will include a panel discussion with educators and student playwrights. A pre-show event with Intercultural Journeys will feature a performance by Israeli and Palestinian musicians (date to be determined, visit www.phillyyoungplaywrights.org for updates). Intercultural Journeys seeks to promote understanding among people of diverse cultures through the presentation of world-class performances in music, poetry and other art forms.

This year, Philadelphia Young Playwrights' annual benefit Write On! A Celebration of Student Voices will include the Professional Productions run at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. On Thursday, March 4, the benefit will begin at 6:00 PM and will include the 7:00 PM Professional Productions performance as part of the awards program (additional information about Write On! will be announced soon).

The Professional Productions are supported by PNC Arts Alive, a five-year, $5 million investment from the PNC Foundation, which receives its principle funding from the PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE: PNC). The goal is to help area residents gain access to the arts, and help cultural organizations expand and engage audiences.

"This project offers full and varied stages of creative process - from the work the writers have done on their plays in the Temple workshop productions, to the revisions they've made since, to the collaboration of student writers, PYP leadership and staff and a team of professional artists in creating the production," says director David Bradley. "At the center of all of this are the brave voices of the writers. There's a tremendous energy generated by this kind of process, and the chance to bring such a varied team together. It really highlights how theater becomes a place of vibrant exchange."

ABOUT THE PLAYS & PLAYWRIGHTS
In the play Milk and Honey by Emily Acker, two worlds collide over a soccer ball as an Israeli boy and a Palestinian boy come together amidst intolerance and violence. Influenced by her study-abroad experience in an American program in Israel during her sophomore year, Acker began writing Milk and Honey in 11th grade, when she returned to The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr. She is now a freshman at Northwestern University, majoring in theater and political science.

"It was an indescribable experience, one that has changed my life," says Acker. "After living in Israel, the conflict there ... sparked my interest more so than most American politics. I consider it a home away from home. Because the political arena there seems stuck at a never ending stalemate, I think that it is important to promote peace in all other fields. I guess you could say I'm trying to do my part with this play."

Milk and Honey won Young Playwrights' 2008 Annual Playwriting Festival. The play was first produced at the organization's New Voices: Workshop Productions at Temple University in 2008. During and since that time, Acker has continued to develop her play. In 2009, Acker served as a program intern at Philadelphia Young Playwrights and a special guest speaker at the organization's Artistic Team Retreat. Acker went on to win the 2009 Young Playwrights Inc. National Playwriting Competition, and in early January, Milk and Honey had a successful off-Broadway reading.

In the humorous and poignant F.A.T. by Kya S. Johnson, a full-figured African-American girl ponders self-identity and lovE. Johnson, a student at Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls in Northeast Philadelphia, wrote her winning monologue while in 11th grade. The monologue Torn Between by Aimee Leong tells the story of an Asian-American teenager in an interracial relationship with her African-American boyfriend and her struggles between loyalty to her family, or to her heart. Leong wrote the play while in 10th grade at Center City's Science Leadership Academy.

Both Johnson and Leong's monologues were winners of the 2009 Young Voices High School Monologue Festival, a collaboration of Young Playwrights and Philadelphia's InterAct Theatre Company. As part of the Festival, students were asked to "make theater out of life" and tell a story through an original monologue. F.A.T. and Torn Between were two of just eighteen monologues presented in the Festival, selected from over 330 monologues submitted from students across the region. Throughout the past year, the two writers have continued to revise and develop their work.

ABOUT THE CAST & PRODUCTION TEAM
The cast of professional actors performing in Milk and Honey include Robert Daponte, Ankit Dogra, Karen Getz, Joe Guzman, Dustin Karrat, Emilie Kraus, Ceal Phelan, and Peter Roccaforte. The monologue Torn Between will be performed by Bi Jean Ngo. Ashley Kelley will perform the monologue F.A.T.

The production team includes David Bradley, Director, and Dramaturge for Milk and Honey; Christopher Colucci, Sound Designer; Mark O'Maley, Scenic and Lighting Designer; Alison Roberts, Costume Designer; and Bradi Jeter, Dramaturge for F.A.T. and Torn Between. Professional Productions are produced by Young Playwrights staff and made possible by PNC Arts Alive, The William Penn Foundation, Carole Haas Gravagno, Honorary Producer; and Linda and David Glickstein, Education and Access Producers. Special thanks to Student Ticket Sponsors, The Fund for Children at The Philadelphia Foundation and Representative Babette Josephs. Professional performers' fees are supported by The Charlotte Cushman Foundation.WHERE: The Suzanne Roberts Theatre, home of Philadelphia Theatre Company, 480 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia

ADMISSION: All performances are open to the general public, based on seating availability. Admission is free for all school groups, but reservations are required. For school group reservations contact Nirvana Rivera at Young Playwrights at (215) 665-9226.

50 Free student (middle school - college) rush tickets available for each evening performance. Advance reservations have priority. To make a reservation, please contact Nirvana Rivera at Young Playwrights at (215) 665-9226. Without a reservation, student rush tickets are first-come, first served at the PTC box office. Tickets subject to availability. Valid student ID required. Limit one ticket per ID. Free student rush tickets thanks to the generosity of PNC Arts Alive.

For individual and non-school tickets, contact the PTC Box Office at (215) 985-0420 or www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org.

Evening Performance: Special Accessible Preview
Tuesday, March 2, 7:30 PM
$10 General Admission
The Tuesday performance will be sign interpreted and captioned, and will feature Braille and large print programs, presented in partnership with Independence Starts Here! led by Art-Reach and VSA arts of Pennsylvania.

Student Matinees
Wednesday, March 3, Thursday, March 4, Friday, March 5, 11:00 AM
Matinee admission is free for all school groups. Space is limited. Reservations are required. To make a reservation for your school group, please contact Philadelphia Young Playwrights, Nirvana Rivera at (215) 665-9226.

Evening Performance: Panel Discussion
Wednesday, March 3, 7:30 PM
$15 General Admission, $12 Students/Seniors (with ID)
The Wednesday performance will feature a panel discussion with educators and student playwrights.

Evening Performance: Write On! A Celebration of Student Voices
Thursday, March 4, Benefit 6:00 PM, Performance 7:00 PM
$15 General Admission, $12 Students/Seniors (with ID)
On Thursday, Philadelphia Young Playwrights will hold its annual benefit, Write On! A Celebration of Student Voices, highlighting the transformative effects of the Young Playwrights experience. The benefit will begin at 6:00 PM and will include the 7:00 PM Professional Productions performance as part of the program (the performance as available will remain open to the general public). Please contact Lindsay Mauck at Young Playwrights at (215) 665-9226 for more information or to purchase benefit tickets.

About David Bradley
David Bradley is a Philadelphia-based theater director, arts educator and consultant. He's been a frequent collaborator with Philadelphia Young Playwrights, leading artist residencies in schools, directing professional productions and PYP workshop productions at Temple (including the original version of Milk and Honey). David is Artistic Director of the National Constitution Center's Living News, now in its fourth season of dramatizing current constitutional issues. A long- time company member at People's Light and Theatre, David has directed more than 25 productions there and for four years was Associate Artistic Director, jointly leading its nationally-recognized arts education programs. People's Light productions include the upcoming Gossamer as well as Doubt, The Crucible, The Giver, Young Lady From Rwanda, A View From the Bridge, The Diary of Anne Frank and Holes. He's directed frequently at Indiana Repertory Theatre and has also directed at Children's Theatre Company. His play What's Now, What's Next? was commissioned by Scholastic, Inc. and the National Constitution Center as part of their exploration of youth civic engagement. David is co-founder and arts education consultant for the non-profit LiveConnections.org, which creates music programs for youth at Philadelphia's acclaimed World Cafe Live. He is a consulting artist for the Animating Democracy Initiative of Americans for the Arts and his arts education work has included collaborations with the Rosenbach Museum, Spiral Q Puppet Theater, Art-Reach and numerous urban, suburban and special needs schools across the region. He is on the board of Philadelphia's Shakespeare in Clark Park and LiveConnections.org. David's a graduate of Yale University.

About Philadelphia Young Playwrights
Founded in 1987 by Adele Magner, and led today by Executive Producing Director Glen Knapp, Philadelphia Young Playwrights is an award-winning program that taps the potential of youth and inspires learning through playwriting in up to 50 public and private K-12 schools each year. A leader in the region's educational programs for youth and built upon its primary belief that all students have something important and valuable to say, Young Playwrights has enriched the Greater Philadelphia community, touching the lives of thousands of students, teachers and parents for the past twenty years. Since 1987, approximately 60 professional playwrights have led workshops, and nearly all of Philadelphia's professional theater companies have participated by performing, producing, or directing student works. Nearly 55,000 students have seen peers' work produced in class or by professionals. Young Playwrights' Literary Committee includes more than 60 educators, writers, parents, and former Young Playwrights students who read and critique each student script. Young Playwrights has been recognized as a Champion in Action by Citizens Bank and is the past recipient of a 2005 Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and Community Service, a 1997 Barrymore Award for Theatre Education, a 2003 George Bartol Award for Excellence in Arts Education, a national "Points of Light" designation, and a 2004 Eastern University Award for Nonprofit Excellence. For more information about PYP, visit www.phillyyoungplaywrights.org.

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