Kevin Artigue, Damon Chua & More Selected for Public Theater's Emerging Writers Group

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced the 10 new playwrights today for the 2014-15 Emerging Writers Group. Now in its fifth cycle, the Emerging Writers Group is an ongoing initiative that targets playwrights at the earliest stages in their career, creating an artistic home, and offering support and resources for a diverse group of up-and-coming playwrights.

Selected from more than 475 applicants, the 2014-15 Emerging Writers are Kevin Artigue, Damon Chua, KEli Goff, Ricardo Pérez González, Glenn Gordon, Elizabeth Irwin, Paola Lázaro-Muñoz, Patricia Ione Lloyd, Jiehae Park, and Sarah Sander. Past EWG writers have included Raúl Castillo, Branden Jacob-Jenkins, Ethan Lipton, Mona Mansour, and Dominique Morisseau.

The Emerging Writers Group is a component of The Public Writers Initiative, a long-term program that provides key support and resources for writers at every stage of their careers. It creates a fertile community and fosters a web of supportive artistic relationships across generations. The Time Warner Foundation is the Founding Sponsor of The Public Writers Initiative.

Writers are selected bi-annually and receive a two-year fellowship at The Public which includes a stipend. Staged readings of works by Emerging Writers Group members are presented in the Spotlight Series at The Public. The playwrights also participate in a bi-weekly writers group led by The Public's literary department and master classes led by established playwrights. Additionally, they have a chance to observe rehearsals for productions at The Public, receive career development advice from mid-career and established writers, and receive artistic and professional support from the literary department and Public artistic staff. Members of the group also receive complimentary tickets to Public Theater shows, invited dress rehearsals, and other special events, as well as a supplemental stipend for tickets to productions at other theaters.

"Once again, we are delighted to welcome an extraordinary constellation of writers to The Public for our fifth class of the Emerging Writers Group. The writers are tackling the big issues of our time with great intelligence and humanity," said Public Theater Associate Artistic Director Mandy Hackett. "It is a dynamic and diverse group and we look forward to launching the next round of EWG together. This program is only possible because of the Time Warner Foundation's deep commitment to providing opportunity to the next generation of playwrights. We are forever grateful to the Time Warner Foundation for their inspired leadership, support, and partnership in creating and sustaining this program."

"The mission of the Time Warner Foundation is to seek innovative and powerful ways to discover, nurture and celebrate the next generation of storytellers," said Lisa Garcia Quiroz, President of the Time Warner Foundation. "We are so proud of our partnership with The Public to create the Emerging Writers Group and welcome this exciting new class."