Young Playwrights Festival 2021

A LETTER FROM THE EDUCATION DIRECTOR

To our Young Playwrights audience,
Thank you for joining us again for our second Young Playwrights Festival in
one year! It’s been a busy time in the education department at City Theatre!
This fall’s production, and the return to working in-person since the pandemic
began, has returned YPF back to its roots: minimal sets and costumes in order
to keep our focus on the playwrights’ stories.
The stories that you’ll see in our 22nd annual Young Playwrights Festival may
all look and feel different, but to me, there’s one outstanding theme between
them all: resilience. Through humor, magic, or reality, the characters you see in
this year’s festival all strive to overcome their conflicts and fears in a resilient
manner. Today’s students continue to struggle through the ongoing pandemic.
But I have no doubt, after being inspired by these plays (and the many others
that were submitted to our contest), our students will recover with resiliency.
Our artists, staff and production team have all returned to working in-person
with resiliency also. I am so grateful for their work and safety measures to
be able to make this year’s production happen. Thank you to our incredible
teaching artists who braved the new virtual teaching world and helped teach
hundreds of students how to write a one-act play. Thank you to our funders
and donors who have stuck with us. Those funds have allowed us to continue
to fulfill our mission when others have not been able to. And, of course, thank
you to our incredible playwrights this year, who have bravely shared their
words and passion with all of us.
The Young Playwrights Festival excitedly awaits the day we can welcome
student and public audiences back to our theatres. But until then, we resiliently
welcome you back to our virtual stage!

Katie Trupiano,
Director of Education

CHARACTERS

Bird Without A Nest by Sophia Khan

Old Man John Dolphin

Fred/Red/Ed Matt Henderson

Aisha Paige Moody

Mom Laura Karner

Spring in The Underworld by Shelby Powers

Zeus Allen Law

Hades Brenden Peifer

Persephone Sadie Pillion-Gardner

Demeter Shakirah Stephens

Hermes Matt Henderson

Nymphs Paige Moody

Spirits Paige Moody

A Boring Street in the Middle of Nowhere by Lucy Potts

Isobel Laura Karner

Olive Sadie Pillion-Gardner

Tom John Dolphin

Brian Allen Law

Richard Brenden Peifer

Ana Paige Moody

Never Too Late to Change by Ayanna Bennett

Jamila Shakirah Stephen

Elijah Brenden Peifer

Mr. Calum Allen Law

David Matt Henderson

Brooke Sadie Pillion-Gardner

PLAYWRIGHTS

AYANNA BENNETT (Never Too Late to Change) is 16 years
old. She is a junior at Westinghouse Arts Academy and is also
a part of the Teen Ensemble at Alumni Theater Company(ATC).
Ayanna has written countless amounts of scenes for ATC but
she decided to take a crack at writing a one act play for the
Young Playwrights Festival. Her play Never Too Late To Change
touches on the topic of black history isn’t taught accurately in
schools. She believes that this is a very important topic to bring
up as it relates to current events. She hopes that the audience can take away
that change isn’t always a bad thing and it’s always important to speak up.
SOPHIA KHAN (Bird Without a Nest) is a middle schooler at
Sewickley Academy. She has a love for first edition books and
hopes to obtain a collection of them. This play is dedicated
to Snow-white, and to everyone who has ever tried to talk to
animals. She would also like to thank her teachers for allowing
her to be one of the butterflies in her first-grade play Mariposa
(butterfly in Spanish) which began her fondness for plays. She
would also like to thank everyone who read and cared about this play, especially
her dramaturg who was very patient with her.
LUCY POTTS (A Boring Street in the Middle of Nowhere) is
thrilled to have her play performed at City Theatre. Lucy is a
sophomore literary artist at Pittsburgh CAPA. She has been
attending since 2017. During her time at CAPA, she has won a
gold Key, a silver key and several honorable mentions for her
writing from the Scholastic Art and Writing Contest. Lucy is also
a rower and has been rowing with Three Rivers Youth Rowing
for three years. She volunteers for adaptive and para rowing in
her spare time. Lucy would like to thank her wonderful creative writing teachers
for mentoring and supporting her throughout her time at CAPA. She would also
like to thank the lovely people at City Theatre for helping her play to life. Finally,
she would like to thank her parents to encouraging her to write and pursue her
passion.

SHELBY POWERS (Spring in the Underworld) is ecstatic to see
her play come to life on stage. She attends Burgettstown Middle
School. Shelby is involved in 4H and preforms in the school
drumline. She would like to thank Addy, Leeam, Ic and Mrs.
Nonack for helping inspire and bring her play to life, including
her wonderful dramaturg, Malic Maat. She would also like to
thank City Theatre for the wonderful opportunity to share her
play with the public. She has a love for Greek mythology, which
was the inspiration for the play.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS
Alex Condron, President*
Nancy D. Washington, PhD, Vice President*
K. Scott Baker, Vice President*
Caitlin Green, Treasurer*
Matthew J. Galando, Secretary*

MEMBERS
David Betts*
Steve Carpenter
Judy Cheteyan
Tomé Cousin
Betty Cruz*
Holly Hatcher-Frazier
Kenneth A. Glick, MD
Marc Masterson
Michelle McCreery, Esq*
James McNeel
Delvina L. Morrow
Marcia Morton
Barbara Rudiak, PhD
Susan B. Smerd, PhD
Sandra Solomon
Nancy Traina
Tamara Tunie*
Deepak Wadhwani
Bria Walker

*Member, Executive Committee

HONORARY BOARD
Carol R. Brown

Norbert J. Connors, II
Robert. M. Frankel | In Memoriam

Ira H. Gordon | In Memoriam
Edward H. Harrell
Thomas Hollander
Clyde B. Jones, III

Gerri Kay | In Memoriam
Roslyn Littman | In Memoriam

David E. Massaro
Beth W. Newbold

Dee Jay Oshry
David L. Porges
Iris Amper Walker

CITY THEATRE STAFF

Artistic Staff
Marc Masterson............................................................Co-Artistic Director
Clare Drobot..................................................................Co-Artistic Director
Monteze Freeland.......................................................Co-Artistic Director
Katie Trupiano...........................................................Director of Education

Administrative Staff
James McNeel................................................................Managing Director
Sara Green Williams.....................................................Director of Finance
Ryan Looke..........................................Director of Company Operations
Dianne Duursma..............................................Director of Development
Beth Geatches...........................Development Associate/Grant Writer
Nikki Battestilli..............................................................Marketing Director
Joel Ambrose......................Director of Ticketing and Patron Services
Makaila Moulden..............................................Patron Services Manager
Audrey Fennell..............................................................Ticketing Manager

Production Staff
Tony Ferrieri.............................................................Director of Production
Rachel D’Amboise.....................................................Production Manager
Brad Peterson................................................Sound and Media Engineer
Greg Messmer..................................................................Master Electrician
Madison Hack.....................................................Costume Shop Manager
Leah Blackwood.........................................................................Scenic Artist
Alexx Jacobs...........................................................Properties Coordinator
Harbour Edney...........................................................Production Assistant
John Brucker....................................................................Technical Director
Sam Karas......................................................Associate Technical Director
Sydney Dobbs.................................................................................Carpenter
Emma Cummings.................................................................Shop Foreman
Bob Follette...............................................................Production Volunteer

FOR THIS PRODUCTION

Linda Haston.......................................................................................Director
Tony Ferrieri................................Scenic Design and Properties Design
Alexx Jacobs.....................................................................Properties Design
Madison Hack.....................................................................Costume Design
Spring in the Underworld and Never Too Late to Change
Amelia Benson............................................................Co-Costume Design
Bird Without a Nest and A Boring Street
in the Middle of Nowhere
Nicole White.........................................................................Lighting Design
Britt Pierce................................................................................Sound Design
Jinah Lee.................................................................................Stage Manager
Mariana Wilson............................................................Production Assitant
Harbour Edney.................................Master Electrian and Programmer
Brad Peterson......................................................................Sound Engineer
Howard Patterson.....................Sound Engineer and Board Operator
Aaron Tarnow.............................Sound Engineer and Board Operator

Malic Maat......................................................................................Dramaturg
Spring in the Underworld
Mora Harris.....................................................................................Dramaturg
Bird Without a Nest
Olivia O’Connor.............................................................................Dramaturg
A Boring Street in the Middle of Nowhere
TJ Parker-Young............................................................................Dramaturg
Never Too Late To Change
Shelby Powers...............................................................................Playwright
Spring in the Underworld
Sophia Khan...................................................................................Playwright
Bird Without A Nest
Ayanna Bennett............................................................................Playwright
Never Too Late To Change
Lucy Potts........................................................................................Playwright

20-21 Teaching Artists:
Annie DiMario
Rita Dorsch
Mora Harris
Ali Hoefnagel
Joseph McGranaghan
Maggie Sulka
TJ Young

AUDIENCE INVITATION

An Invitation to Participate:
By walking through our doors, we invite you to join our
community. You are welcome here.
Part of our mission is to challenge and engage a diverse
audience.
Feel free to laugh. To cry. To react honestly.
This is live theater. Our artists are living and breathing right in
front of you -- They need your reactions, not your distractions.
Bring your full self, but please ensure your actions do not harm
other audience members.
Please be an audience member that joins with others, that has
compassion for the experiences of others.
We’re in the same space. At the same time. This Is community.
2020 taught us that community is a privilege. 2020 also
reinforced that we need to do better. Historically, theater has a
culture of exclusivity.
Part of our anti-racism work at City Theatre is to break down
barriers that limit access to art. We ask you to join us in this
imperative work. We invite you to get to know our core values
and to read our organizational code of conduct.
We want to hold ourselves accountable. If you have a negative
experience in our space, we want to know. There are multiple
ways to call us in. You can:
• Speak to a house manager
• Or any employee present with a City Theatre name tag
• Email the staff EDIA committee at comment@

citytheatrecompany.org
We’re here. We’re listening.
Let’s build a better community together.

DONORS

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The Buhl Foundation - Frick Educational Fund
The Anne L. and George H. Clapp
Charitable and Educational Trust
The Grable Foundation
Laurel Foundation
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

Pennsylvania Department of Education/Intermediate Unit One
Hilda M. Willis Foundation