Alumni

Are you an alumnus of Young Playwrights? We want to hear from you!
Many past student participants of the Annual Playwriting Festival define their professional path as playwrights and theatre professionals, and become committed to supporting the urgent, talented voices of new generations of student playwrights. For instance, Quiara Alegría Hudes, a 1993 winner of the Annual Festival, wrote the Tony-nominated book for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “In the Heights,” and was a finalist for the 2007 and 2009 Pulitzer Prizes. Ms. Hudes has returned to Young Playwrights as a board member to ensure more young people get the opportunities and rewards of the Playwriting Festival that she so well leveraged.

Young Playwrights is dedicated to cultivating future arts leaders from our pool of student participants: three alumni and one current student playwright serve on the Young Playwrights Board, one alumna served as a 2009 Teaching Artist Apprentice, and our full-time staff includes 1999 and 2001 alums Genne Murphy and Nirvana Rivera.

In addition, many alumni participants of the Annual Playwriting Festival go on to gain success in careers outside of theatre, bolstered by increased literacy skills, self-confidence, and a sense of empowerment in expressing their voices as young people. Student Alumnus Board Member Kevin Robinson feels his participation in the Annual Playwriting Festival allowed him to broaden his understanding of his own life’s potential; since his 2001 graduation from University City High School he has channeled his energies into a successful career as an investment banker and committed himself to giving back to Philadelphia’s youth.

Philadelphia Young Playwrights is building an Alumni Network of past student playwrights in order to:

• develop mentoring opportunities between alumni and current student playwrights, as well as other avenues to program engagement
• exchange information about networking and cultural events
• create alumni-focused programming, including a future Alumni Reading Series
• interview alums about your experience in Young Playwrights programming, and find out what you are doing now
• expand our pool of candidates for board and staff and future organizational leadership
• share News about your current projects with Young Playwrights friends and current program participants

Contact Genne Murphy, Coordinator of Alumni Programming at genne@phillyyoungplaywrights.org. Genne is the current General and Program Manager of Philadelphia Young Playwrights, and a 1999 alumna and winner.