This Summer and Beyond at YPT

The YPT staff is back from our company retreat and so excited to start the school year! As we prepare our programs and performances for the year, we wanted to give everyone an update on our summers and the year to come at YPT.

Liza Harbison, Communications and Graphic Design Associate

Favorite movie of the past year: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (end of an era)

Best thing you did/plan to do this summer: I am headed to Europe for a 2 week vacation! I can’t even explain how excited I am.

What will you do at YPT this year, in a nutshell: I will continue to produce all of YPT’s visual communications, but will also be strategizing communications on a larger scale.  And I am very excited to continue assisting with the Young Playwrights’ Workshop!

Name one thing you’re most looking forward to in the year to come at YPT: I’m always so excited to meet our new students (especially the Young Playwrights’ Workshop members) and read their brilliant words. They inspire me every day, and I love finding new ways to share their stories with the public so everyone knows what I already know: that our students are awesome!

Nicole Jost, Associate Artistic Director

Favorite movie of the past year: Moonrise Kingdom. Or The Muppets.

Best thing you did/plan to do this summer: I’m getting married!

What will you do at YPT this year, in a nutshell: I will oversee all of our in-school and out of school time programs, making sure all our students have great experiences with YPT. I will also produce all our performances of student plays, bringing their voices out into the community and inspiring respect for young artists.

Name one thing you’re most looking forward to in the year to come at YPT: The Young Playwrights’ Workshop! The Workshop program continues to grow, and I can’t wait to see what the new members dream up.

Laurie Ascoli, Program Associate

Favorite movie of the past year: Probably the Muppets!

Best thing you did/plan to do this summer: In a few weeks I’ll be heading to Boston, to see one of the most wonderful kids I’ve ever worked with live his dream of performing the title role in Billy Eliot on the National Tour.  I am also planning to see tons of friends and family while there.  I’m pretty excited.

What will you do at YPT this year, in a nutshell: This year I’ll be managing pretty much every aspect of our programs, from communicating with partner schools, to training and overseeing teaching artists, to guiding the winning playwrights through the New Play Festival process.  I’m pretty excited about this too.

Name one thing you’re most looking forward to in the year to come at YPT: I can’t wait to meet all of our new students and read the amazing plays they write.  I’m also incredibly psyched to be teaching the kids at Swanson Middle School for the third time!

Brigitte Moore, Acting Executive Director

Favorite movie of the past year: The Avengers

Best thing you did/plan to do this summer: I’m completing my Master’s degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Georgetown University in August! It has been amazing applying ideas and strategies from my Master’s program to my day-to-day work at YPT over the past two years.

What will you do at YPT this year, in a nutshell: This year, I’m taking on a new role as YPT’s Acting Executive Director. I’ll be responsible formanaging YPT’s artistic and organizational vision and strategy, and ensuring that we have the people and resources to effectively achieve our mission. Super exciting.

Name one thing you’re most looking forward to in the year to come at YPT: We are publishing a book! I still can’t believe it. The book will feature some of our best plays from the past seventeen years and sample curricula and assessment results. You’re going to love it.

Alison Beyrle, Development and Producing Associate

Favorite movie of the past year: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 or Like Crazy (an indie movie that no one saw but everyone should)

Best thing you did/plan to do this summer: A week-long, somewhat spur-of-the moment trip to Prague in May with my best friend … but hoping there are more fun things to come!

What will you do at YPT this year, in a nutshell: Write a lot of grants, brainstorm exciting new activities for YPT, help produce our season, and run an 8k for YPT in October!

Name one thing you’re most looking forward to in the year to come at YPT:  Reading and seeing all the hilarious, creative and inspiring plays that our students come up this year.

Are you as excited as we are about YPT’s year to come? Get involved!

The YPT Staff

Introducing YPT’s Race for a Cause™ Superhero Teams!

Have you heard the exciting news?

This fall, YPT is thrilled to be partnering with Acumen Solutions for their 4th Annual Race for a Cause™ 8K and 1Mile Fun Run race on October 14, 2012 in Arlington, Virginia!

 YPT was selected as one of ten charities benefitting from the race. It’s up to each runner (or enthusiastic walker!) to pick which charity your participation will benefit … and the more people who register to run for YPT, the more funding we receive!

So you’re one of our amazing supporters and you want to help out.  But a competitive race? At YPT we’re all very excited to be participating in the Race for a Cause™ but – confession time — we’re not what you’d call competitive, or even recreational, runners.  Guess what … you don’t have to be!

Whatever your level of fitness, you can participate in the Race for a Cause™, and we will be cheering you all the way to the finish line, with the help of some very special motivators.

Acumen is inviting everyone to “Be a Superhero” just by running for a charity, so we thought that this exciting challenge called for some of our own favorite superheroes! Check out the three fun YPT teams you can join, each led by an inspirational YPT superhero. Once you register for the race, email abeyrle@yptdc.org or post on our Facebook page to let us know which team you’re joining, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and this blog throughout the summer for team updates, photos, videos, quotes and stories featuring our team leaders as we get pumped up for October!

(Note: Our superhero team levels are YPT-specific, so when registering you’ll have two options: the 1 mile or the 8k. But you can register for the 8k planning to run competitively or walk/run – there’s no time limit for completion, and no rule that says you must run the whole time!)

TEAM SUPERGIRL

Team Leader: Supergirl (from A Jewel of a Date by Dakota Wenberg) #teamsupergirl

So you’re ready to run!  Maybe you’re a marathon runner who eats 8ks for breakfast. Or maybe you’re a regular runner and ready to take it to the next level.  With Supergirl as your team leader, we’ll help you win the race in the morning, save the world’s most expensive diamond in the afternoon, and still have time for a date with Jake in the evening! Join Supergirl and YPT staff members Alison and Pete, and register to run the 8k (and claim your share of over $2,000 in prizes, awarded to top race winners!)  And know that 5 miles is further than Alison has ever run in her life, so you’re guaranteed to at least beat her.

TEAM MAGNET DUDE

Team Leader: Magnet Dude (from Magnet Dude by Kyrtham Franco) #teammagnetdude

So you’re a recreational runner who logs a few miles in your neighborhood, but you aren’t sure about running an 8k. Or maybe you just enjoy really long, athletic walks.  Magnet Dude is here to help you successfully complete your very first 8k!  When you register for the 8k you can plan to “run/walk” like YPT staff members Brigitte and Nicole.  Whatever pace you choose, we’ll be there to cheer you on as you cross the finish line!

TEAM FLATWORM

Team Leader: Flatworm (From Flatworm’s Courageous Act by Lauren White) #teamflatworm

So you’re not a runner. Nothing wrong with that! Maybe participating in a race is as intimidating to you as climbing that peanut brittle wall was for Flatworm.  But Flatworm conquered his fear, and so can you! Register for the 1 mile format – it’s a great option for those who’d prefer a relaxing walk, as well as for families and young runners. No training needed — although Flatworm will be sharing tips for power walking for our one-milers, including staff members Liza and Laurie! Your registration still helps us win funds to help more students, and on race day you’ll get to watch all those sweaty 8k-ers cross the finish line while basking in the healthy glow of your one-mile stroll.

So pick your team, and click here to register now! All runners get a race shirt (or cape if you’d prefer!) and Acumen is offering a special early bird rate if you register before August 1. The race will take place at 8am on Sunday, October 14, 2012 in Arlington, Virgina (easily metro accessible). For more information about the race, click here.

No matter how you choose to participate, you’ll be helping YPT win the funds we need to say “yes” to more deserving classrooms this school year and serve more students than ever before with free, innovative playwriting and theater arts programming and performances. And that makes you our superhero.

Thank you, as always, for your support. See you on the training course!

Alison, Development and Producing Associate