The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) has announced the 10 members of the 2009 Emerging Writers Group, the second season of an annual program that targets playwrights at the earliest stages of their careers and nurtures their artistic growth by providing necessary resources and support. The 10 writers were selected from more than 400 applicants.
The 2009 Emerging Writers are J. Julian Christopher, D.S.A. Deen, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Bridget Kelso, Mona Mansour, Vickie Ramirez, Jordan Seavey, Alena Smith, Kevin Christopher Snipes, and Lauren Yee.
Each emerging writer receives a one-year fellowship at The Public which includes a $3,000 stipend; participation in a biweekly writers' group led by Associate Artistic Director Mandy Hackett and The Public's Literary Department; master classes with established playwrights; career development advice and artistic support from acclaimed writers and Public artistic staff; complimentary tickets to Public shows and supplemental stipends for productions at other theaters; and presentation of their work in at least one reading at The Public.
The Emerging Writers Group strengthens The Public's commitment to creating an artistic home for diverse and exceptionally talented up-and-coming playwrights. The Emerging Writers Group is one element of The Public Writers Initiative, a long-term program that provides key support and resources for writers at every stage of their careers. Time Warner is the Founding Sponsor of The Public Writers Initiative.
Last year's Emerging Writers Group (Radha Blank, Leila Buck, Raul Castillo, Chris Cragin, Christina Gorman, Ethan Lipton, Alejandro Morales, Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko, Don Nguyen, Akin Salawu, Aladdin Ullah, Pia Wilson) will present excerpts from their original works on Wednesday, February 11 and Thursday, February 12 at 7 p.m. (These readings are not open to the public.) All 12 excerpts will be performed by professional actors and directed by The Public's Artistic Leadership Associate Niegel Smith. Later this spring, The Public will present the Spotlight Series, a weekly reading series featuring the writers' full-length plays. Complete schedule to follow.
"These brilliant, fierce writers are the future of American theater," said Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis. "We are proud to make them part of the Public family."
"Time Warner believes in the importance of supporting new and diverse voices in the arts," said Lisa M. Quiroz, Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Time Warner Inc. "We are proud to partner with The Public Theater in investing in these 10 talented writers and all the artists supported through the Public Writers Initiative."
2010 Emerging Writers Group application guidelines will be available as of spring 2009. Check www.publictheater.org/artists/emergingwriters.php regularly for details on applying for the next cycle of this program.
J. Julian Christopher has acted in many New York area productions, including TBA, The Karaoke Show, Art Gallery, A Bright Room Called Day, Nina in the Morning, The Three Gods, On Broken Wings, Taming of the Shrew, and The Flea's 'Twas the Night Before... series. His directing credits include Robert J. Bonocore's The Onion Lovers (Fringe Festival 2006). Julian is a founding member of Three Monos Ensemble, where his first play, Beast: A Parable (Fringe Festival 2008) was developed. He holds an MFA from the New School.
D.S.A. Deen is a first-generation South Asian-American writer, actor, and activist. He won the Dennis Johnston Playwriting Prize and the James Baldwin Award for his play Shut Up!. His writing includes the plays Butchus Homosexualis, Sikhandini, Barely Breathing (semi-finalist, Samuel French Festival of One-Acts), Saffron, Seven-Year Itch, and ...Tank & Horse (2007 Berkshire Fringe Festival) as well as the short film Pigeon Man. He holds an MFA from the Actors Studio Drama School.
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' plays include Neighbors, Face #1-3, Thirst, Zoo, Heart!!!, and Content. With the performance duo enemyResearch, he created and performed in Garbage, Schnechnershirts, and The Amateurs. His work has been presented by Prelude '08, New York Theatre Workshop, PS122, McCarter Theatre, Dixon Place, Providence Black Repertory, Links Hall, and Soho Rep. A former NYTW Playwriting fellow and alumnus of the Hemispheric Institute's EMERGENYC Program, Branden is a member of the Soho Rep writers/directors lab and holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU.
