Durango PlayFest Youth Speaker Series Welcomes Sky Lakota-Lynch

Durango PlayFest's REAL-WORLD THEATRE speaker series will open with a talk by actor Sky Lakota-Lynch on Thursday, April 20 from 1-2 p.m. at Fort Lewis College (Theatre Building).

The free event is open to students in 8th grade and older from area public and private schools and colleges, as well as those who are home-schooled.

Sky is currently starring as Johnny Cade in the musical "The Outsiders" at the La Jolla Playhouse in California. He made his Broadway debut as Jared Kleinman in the Tony-winning "Dear Evan Hansen." At the 2021 Durango PlayFest, he starred with actor Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years, Lombardi) in Pulitzer-nominated playwright Lee Blessing's play, "The Family Line." Sky is of Native American and Ethiopian descent. He graduated from The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York City.

"Sky is an incredibly talented actor who really connected with audiences during his time at PlayFest. We're excited to welcome him back to Durango to speak about the challenges and opportunities he's encountered on his journey to the national stage," said Debbie Pfeifer, co-chair of the PlayFest board of directors. "By featuring young actors and playwrights from diverse backgrounds, we hope the speaker series will inspire students who may not otherwise have considered careers in the theatre arts."

The series is sponsored in part by the Durango Friends of the Arts, the LPEA Roundup Foundation, the Leland House Inn and Suites, and Lola's Place.