The Foundry Adds New Class Of First Year Members For 2024/25 Season

The Foundry, in its third cycle under new leadership at Playpenn, had added a new class of first year members for the 2024/25 season.

PlayPenn welcomes Aly Gonzalez, August Hakvaag, and Lulu Duffy-Tumasz. L M Feldman and R. Eric Thomas who will continue as Lead Artists, led the search. The new members, all Philadelphia based playwrights, Aly Gonzalez, August Hakvaag and Lulu Duffy-Tumasz round out the full cohort of nine.

PlayPenn Artistic Director Che’Rae Adams says, says “We are so excited to add Aly, August and Lulu to the PlayPenn family. As one of PlayPenn’s core programs, The Foundry provides free mentorship to Philadelphia based writers for three years. This really is the cornerstone of the work we do”.

Aly Gonzalez (she/her) recently provided dramaturgy for Written by Phillis by Paule Oakley Stovall and Marilyn Campbell Lowe at Quintessence Theatre Group and the bilingual horror play, Pase Lo Que Pase by Carl(os) Roa at PlayPenn. Her play, The Invisible Ones, was selected as the joint winner of the Sue Winge Playwriting Competition in 2021. Aly earned her MA, Theatre from Villanova University, and BA, Art History from Temple University, Tyler School of Art. Aly’s research explores the intersections between theater as ritual/religious performance, visual art, ethnomusicology, and women’s studies.

August Hakvaag (they/them) identifies as a butch theater artist. They have worked internationally as an actor, director, and playwright, and hold a BA from Temple University. Their piece As I Was, Not As I Am is a Princess Grace Fellowship Award semi-finalist, was nominated for a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and recently made its Off-Broadway debut with Moxie Arts NY. Most recently, their immersive piece A Seance For Mae West enjoyed a sold-out run during Philly Theater Week with Aporia Artists Collective, of which they are a founding member and currently serve as Co-Artistic Director.

Lulu Duffy-Tumasz (they/them) identifies a queer playwright raised in Philly. They like to write kinda weird, hopefully funny dark comedies. Lulu grew up acting and writing, studied playwriting at Bard College, and was a 2021 Lambda Literary fellow. They work as a therapist, and have helped coordinate mutual aid-based harm reduction efforts for almost a decade.

ABOUT THE FOUNDRY

The Foundry creates a space where under the guidance of lead artists, playwrights meet as a group and have the opportunity to share their work and add tools to their craft and creative practice. Lead Artists, L M Feldman and R. Eric Thomas, facilitate the meetings. Members participate in craft building workshops with guest speakers, network with theater professionals, and receive graduation readings.