Young Playwrights From Castillo Festival Opens 6/24

The Castillo Theatre (Dan Friedman, artistic director, Diane Stiles, managing director, Craig Pattison, festival director) soon opens Part 2 of the Young Playwrights From Castillo festival, featuring scripts written over the course of a year-long writing workshop led by Castillo's artistic director, Dan Friedman. There is an invited final dress rehearsal on Thursday, June 23rd at 7:30 p.m., open to press.

Part Two of the Young playwrights From Castillo festival consists of: Fallen Hero by Randy Higgins, directed by Jim Horton; Conversations in Perdition by Biola Jeje, directed by Peter Cook; and A Work In Progress by Franceli Chapman, directed by Brittany Jensen. The cast for the young playwrights festival is drawn from the alumni of the Youth Onstage Community Performance School, the plays are being directed by theatre professionals who also serve on the Youth Onstage faculty.

Artistic director Dan Friedman sees the festival as being at the heart of Castillo's community-building model. "What's problematic is that the world of the American theatre is not reflective of the entirety of America, or the world. That's not surprising; people in poverty don't tend to go to the theatre, never mind write plays." This festival helps to create new cultural possibilities for young artists.

Graduates from Castillo's youth performance and development school, Youth Onstage!, participated in a workshop process over the course of a year, developing plays about the issues they were inspired to explore. The Part 2 scripts bring a comic book to life on the streets of New York, feature philosophical conversations between an American teenager and world historic figures, and explore the challenges facing young working class women of color.

The four performances are one weekend only: Friday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 25 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, June 26 at 2:00 p.m. at the Castillo Theatre, 543 West 42nd Street (between 10th & 11th Avenue). Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for students and seniors. Group rates are available. Tickets can be purchased through the Castillo Box Office at 212-941-1234 or go to www.castillo.org.