Two River Joins Forces with Project Write Now for Community Playmaking
It is open to adults from diverse, underserved communities free of charge.
Two River Theater, in partnership with Project Write Now, recently launched a new engagement program called Community Playmaking. Run in collaboration with local non-profits, it is open to adults from diverse, underserved communities free of charge. Participants engage in a series of free playwriting workshops fostering their creativity to write their own original short plays which are then performed by professional actors. Community Playmaking requires no prior experience—just a desire to learn and share stories.
The program kicked off in October 2024 with a group comprised of community members, staff, and volunteers from Lunch Break in Red Bank. The participants attended playwriting classes led by Project Write Now Executive Director Jennifer Chauhan and TRT Director of Education Kate Cordaro and learned the basics of dramatic structure, form, and character, then wrote their own original 10-minute plays, and the program culminated in a staged reading of the newly minted playwright’s plays performed by professional actors in the dining room at Lunch Break on December 17, 2024.
Community Playmaking will continue in February 2025, as the second iteration of the engagement program will collaborate with the Shore House in Long Branch, a local community resource open to adults living with a mental illness.
“It gives me great joy to launch Community Playmaking at Two River Theater,” says Artistic Director Justin Waldman. “This is an incredible opportunity for our institution to partner with stalwart Monmouth County not-for-profits – like Project Write Now, Lunch Break, and Shore House – who are doing the great good work to better our communities, and for individuals to directly engage and actively participate in the process of making art and sharing their truth. It is a truly awe-inspiring experience to see these stories come to life. I am grateful to our partners for jumping into this project with TRT and to the participants for their trust, vulnerability, and for leaning in. This is only the beginning and I am looking forward to expanding and sharing this unique and special experience with others.”
"Community Playmaking is a wonderful opportunity for people to discover that their stories and experiences truly matter," said Jennifer Chauhan, Executive Director of Project Write Now. "The writing process allows participants to experiment with their voice and style, uncovering the story only they can tell. Project Write Now is so grateful to the Two River Theater for inviting us to be part of this incredible program."
During the evening of short plays at Lunch Break, the plays included: Slice of Life by Courtney Byrne, Between Three Shades by Gregory Schwartz, Tides by Birgit Mondesir, Happy McFunland by Caitlin McGarry, Brewing Second Chances by Michelle Bowles, Office Workers Do Community Theater by Sasha Harris, Trivia Night by Fatima Carranza, On the Count of 3… by Shani Love, and The Banquet of Syphax by George Holler.
“The actors that we assembled really took these new plays to the next level,” says Kate Cordaro, Two River Theater’s Director of Education and director for the program’s staged reading. “Our fledgling playwrights truly got to witness their plays’ potential in these gifted actors’ hands. It was an incredible program that culminated in a night full of gratitude, joy, and possibility. I can’t wait to do it again!”
The cast included: Brittany Bellizeare (Two River’s August Wilson’s Seven Guitars, King Hedley II), Laura Dadap (Bhangin’ It, Agent 355), Hiram Delgado (Take Me Out, Two River’s Two Sisters and a Piano), Duane Noch (The Woman in Black, Same Life Over), Reynaldo Piniella (Thoughts of a…, Trouble in Mind), Heather Velasquez (Two River’s American Mariachi, Pipeline) , and Sondra Weimar (The Way of All Fish, Witness for the Prosecution).
The creative team included: Kate Cordaro (Director), Jennifer Chauhan (Writing Coach), Jessi Stier (Artistic Assistant), Megan Smith, (Stage Manager), and Alycya Thomas (Production Assistant).
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