YPT Visits the Army

Taking a day away from the YPT office, I recently spent some time at a different kind of event – a Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity fair at the Army National Guard in Virginia. Here at YPT we pursue all different kinds of funding opportunities to ensure that we can continue to provide programming for our students. Through CFC, federal employees have the opportunity to donate to a charity or charities of their choice through workplace giving.

Events like the one at the National Guard allow CFC charities (like YPT!) to share information about their work with federal employees, while these employees can learn more about organizations they might want to contribute to.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I showed up on Tuesday, but I set up the YPT table, put out a bowl of candy (a crucial part of any information table), and I ended up talking to a lot of cool people. The National Guard can seem a little intimidating at first with all its security and servicemen and women walking around in uniform, but everyone I met was very friendly and open to learning about YPT. I talked to several service members who lit up at the idea of the opportunities offered by YPT’s programs. “My daughter would love this!” exclaimed one mother, while a father told me about his son who writes music in his free time.  Another man recalled that he used to write plays himself, while yet another employee took the season flier after noting that he and his wife have been looking for new theaters to check out. Beneath the identical Army fatigues were artists, arts enthusiasts and proud parents, all united by their commitment to charitable giving.

I was also able to talk to some of the other CFC charities at the event. There was quite a diverse group! YPT sat alongside a charity that helped children in Africa, an environmental group, and an organization that provides free plane ride to veterans who need to travel for medical care, as well as several larger charities such as United Way that actually support smaller organizations like YPT. After manning tables for several hours, the charities were invited to give brief speeches about their work, and one of our own alumni gave a great speech about her experience with YPT.  Listening to these charities share stories about their work made me realize that YPT is part of a diverse and important group – CFC charities – that, thanks to the opportunities afforded by the CFC, work to make a difference locally and globally. As I learned, there are over 4,000 charities listed in the current CFC catalogue, so it’s pretty cool that YPT gets to be a part of this campaign. I’m looking forward to meeting more federal employees and charities at the next CFC event.

Alison
Development Assistant

YPTimeMachine: Week Two

As YPT launches our 15^th birthday celebration, we’re spending a lot of time reflecting on 1995 – both what was popular at the time (snap bracelets and pog collections, anyone?)  and where we were in our own lives.  Some staff members were embarking on new chapters in their adult lives, while others were still navigating their way through elementary school.  But reading all our 1995 staff bios, I noticed a common thread – an interest in the creative arts, and a drive to succeed in the things we were passionate about.  Raina, our Community Engagement Associate, performed plays for her family and friends and read under her desk in class.  Laurie, our Program Assistant, had a play she wrote produced at a school assembly.  Brigitte, our Development Director, turned in an unassigned book report on Les Misérables in middle school.  Patrick, our Associate Artistic Director, looked forward to a college because it offered new opportunities for theater, and David, our Producing Artistic Director and CEO, was a working actor in New York City – not an easy job!

While I wasn’t lucky enough to have a program as cool as YPT come into my classroom, I was an avid writer in 1995, filling up notebooks with stories inspired by my favorite books at the time.  In second grade, we did have a class called “Writer’s Workshop” where we were instructed to write whatever we wanted, and I looked forward to it every week.  It was during these Writer’s Workshops that I produced the only story with chapters in my class, and learned how to use quotation marks for dialogue.  I was also spellbound by all the school plays (I have memories of Janney Elementary’s production of Oliver! as a theatrical masterpiece) and, inspired, I would put on plays at home, often playing multiple roles.  As I got older the idea of being on stage became less appealing, but I kept writing and remained fascinated with theater, which led me to major in theater in college and, many internships later, land a job with YPT.  I, like so many of us in the arts world, discovered a passion for the arts at an early age, and without exposure to creative opportunities and encouragement from teachers and parents, I probably would not have pursued working in the arts, which has led to some amazing experiences and a job I feel lucky to have.

As part of our look back, we found a huge box of YPT material circa 1995-1997.  Some of the plays are hilariously mid-90s, including a play submitted for consideration for 1996 Express Tour in which Madonna discovers that Dennis Rodman is really a woman, and a play in which Tia and Tamera (presumably from the 90s classic Sister, Sister) go to a party at Puff Daddy’s house.  But many plays have themes that we still see today in student work.  Plays from early Express Tour performances dealt with issues such as forbidden love, violence in the community, AIDS and, on the lighter side, a kid who puts a love note to his secret crush in the wrong locker.  Today, that character would probably text his declaration of love (in 160 characters or less) to the wrong cell phone, but the ideas and the quality of the work has remained the same.  We’ve seen high-waist jeans come and go, we’ve seen the rise and fall of boy bands, we’ve been through several presidents, but the talents of young students and the importance of arts education opportunities remain as important now as they were in 1995.

So come check out our Express Tour Showcase November 3-6!  Maybe in 2025 we’ll be laughing at the dated references as we show up to YPT’s 30^th birthday celebration in our flying cars, but right now, it promises to be a great show.   And we’ll have birthday cake.  See you there!

Alison
Development Assistant

YPT Kicks Off Our Fifteenth Birthday Season

After working at Young Playwrights’ Theater for about two weeks, I attended the New Writer’s Now! Kick-Off Party last Tuesday evening – my first YPT event! As the new Development Assistant, I’ve jumped right into updating contacts in the database, putting together mailings and trying to learn the names of everyone and everything, from staff, to board members, to important programs. So it was a nice change of pace to attend the New Writers Now! Kick-Off and see a first-hand example of one of these projects, and even match a few faces to the names I’ve seen in our giant database.

The party was small and intimate, with everyone sitting around tables in the YPT studio space chatting and, in my case, meeting new people. The variety of attendees really represented all different parts of the YPT family. I met students, friends and family of students, local actors, staff and even board members and supporters. As we sat around snacking on treats (including our artistically arranged cracker and cheese plates) I was able to talk to some of the students that YPT works with, and I had a great conversation about social media and DC-area theater with a board member and a long-time supporter of YPT. At larger organizations, funders and board members can often seem inaccessible and intimidating to a new staff member, so it was great how friendly and approachable everyone at the Kick-Off Party was, and how enthusiastic they were about the new season. The event also included teaser scenes from a few upcoming YPT student works, and as someone who has never seen a YPT reading before, I was very impressed by the quality of the work. It’s events like these that help us get through the occasional long day of data entry or stuffing envelopes, and I’m eager to see the full plays in the coming months!

Overall, I think the New Writers Now! Kick-Off Party summed up my impression of YPT so far: a small company with a family-like feel, yet made up of a wide variety of people drawn together by their enthusiasm for the arts and their support for the unique work that YPT does. I’m amazed by the impressive number of students that we reach (especially considering our small core staff) and I’m beyond thrilled to have joined the YPT team. I’m looking forward to meeting more people and seeing some great new theater in the upcoming season!

Click here to see photos from the New Writers Now! Kick-Off Party.

Alison
Development Assistant