DREAM HOU$E By Eliana Pipes To Receive Reading November 18

DREAM HOU$E by Eliana Pipes, winner of the 2019 Leah Ryan Prize for Emerging Women Writers, "Leah's FEWW" will receive a reading Monday November 18 at The Loft at Theater 511, 511 West 54th Street, in Manhattan. The reading will be directed by Kathleen Capdesuñer and feature Amandina Altomare, Emilie Battle, Amanda Borges, and Cindy De La Cruz. Alex Tobey will line produce and Hanako Rodriguez will stage manage.

DREAM HOU$Ea??follows two Latinx sisters on an HGTV-style show who are selling their family home, hoping to capitalize on the gentrification in their "changing neighborhood." a??As they perform for the camera the show starts to slip into the surreal: one sister grapples with turmoil in the family's ancestral past and the other learns how much she's willing to sacrifice for the family's future.a?? A play exploring the cultural cost of progress in America. a??

Eliana Pipes is a playwright and actor.a?? She received a BA in English from Columbia University, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Playwriting from Boston University.

Recent playwriting work includes: DREAM HOU$E (Ars Nova ANT Fest, San Diego Rep New Latinx Plays Festival, O'Neill Theater Conference Finalist); UNTITLED (National New Play Network MFA Workshop); STAND AND WAIT (Gaffney National Playwriting Prize Winner, Bay Area Playwright's Festival Finalist); STILETTO ENVY (Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival, The Fire this Time Festival).a?? She is currently a member of Echo Theater's NYPR Program. a?? More at www.elianapipes.com.

There were over 400 submissions to the FEWW this past season. Of the thirteen finalists for the prize, there were two honorable mentions for Krista Knight and her play, SHOOTER! and Lily Ackerman for her play, HIPPO.

Leah Ryan's Fund for Emerging Women Writers (FEWW) and its annual prize were established in 2010 to honor the memory of Leah Ryan, and to encourage and support the work of women writers. It is the purpose of the prize to perpetuate the integrity, compassion and creativity that Leah herself possessed and inspired in others. Leah Ryan's FEWW intends to encourage brilliant and unrecognized women playwrights with an annual cash prize and a New York City showcase of the winning work. Previous winners include, Megan Mostyn Brown (The Rest of Your Life), Laura Marks (Bethany), Rachel, Teagle (The Ever and After), Jiehae Parks (Hannah and the Dread Gazebo), Jen Silverman (The Moors), Boo Killebrew (Miller, Mississippi), Genne Murphy (Giantess), Susan Soon He Stanton, (We, The Invisibles), and Gina Femia (Allond[r]a).

In addition, the fund also provides financial support to writers afflicted with a serious illness, known as the "Vladimir" (a nod to Leah's love of Russian writers and plays). For more information please visit http://www.leahryansfeww.com/index.html.

The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley works to strengthen community by helping individuals, businesses and organizations establish and administer funds that support vital causes and charities. Partnering with generous donors, they address current and emerging community needs through effective grantmaking to improve the quality of life for all. Additionally, they provide technical assistance to help nonprofits operate more effectively.

If you'd like to make a donation to Leah Ryan's FEWW to support the work of brilliant and unrecognized women, trans, and non-binary playwrights, please do so on the Community Foundation of the Hudson Valley website.a??You can also send a check payable to the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, and make sure to write "Leah Ryan's FEWW" in the memo line. Please mail to: Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, 80 Washington Street, Suite 201, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601