Student Playwrights Explore Love & Bullying in the Age of New Technology

On May 23, 2011, at 7pm, at GALA Hispanic Theatre (3333 14th St. NW), Young Playwrights' Theater (YPT) will premiere New Writers Now! - Luv in the Time of Txting, an evening of new plays created by DC area youth. This performance will be a free community event, open to the public.

Professional DC actors will present two original student-written plays exploring relationships and communication in the age of text messaging and social media. The plays, Stalker Summer Love by Lydia Evans of School Without Walls and Love Words by Fatima Rodriguez of Bell Multicultural High School, were written during YPT's In-School Playwriting Program in the spring and fall of 2010 respectively. The In-School Playwriting Program integrates the art of playwriting into the classroom in order to enhance student literacy, creative expression and communication, serving over 1,000 elementary, middle and high school students annually throughout Greater Washington.

"Our students have exciting perspectives on the role of new technology in modern relationships," said David Snider, the Producing Artistic Director and CEO of YPT. "As we use new media to declare our thoughts to the world on everything under the sun, from coffee to candidates, YPT students question how much time we now spend pondering those thoughts, forming those opinions or considering those words."

The evening will also mark the premiere of Out of the Shadow, a new play created and performed by YPT's resident ensemble of student artists, the Young Playwrights' Workshop. In Out of the Shadow, the Workshop students address the topic of bullying and take a stand for their peers across the country, presenting multiple perspectives and sharing important stories.

On October 20, 2010, the Young Playwrights' Workshop received the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. The award, which was presented to YPT by First Lady Michelle Obama at a private White House ceremony, honors arts and humanities programs that make a marked difference in the lives of their participants by improving academic scores and graduation rates, enhancing life skills and developing positive relationships with peers and adults.

"YPT has made me more open, helped me deal with problems I've faced and taught me how I can respond differently to certain things," said eleventh-grader Ian Real of Bell Multicultural High School. "Through art, we can inspire each other to solve the problems of the world today."

Young Playwrights' Theater teaches students to express themselves clearly and creatively through the art of playwriting. Through interactive in-school and after-school programs, YPT activates student learning and inspires students to understand the power of language and realize their potential as both individuals and artists. By publicly presenting and discussing student-written work, YPT promotes community dialogue and respect for young artists. More information can be found at www.yptdc.org.

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