Candela Reveals Fellows For Its Second Annual Playwrights Summer Fellowship Program

Candela, a pioneering initiative dedicated to advancing high-quality theater education for emerging playwrights, book writers, and lyricists of Latin American and Caribbean heritage, has announced the fellows for its second annual Playwrights Summer Fellowship program. Formerly known as the Playwrights Summer Jam, Candela continues to illuminate the path to success for talented individuals over the age of 21.

Founded by writer/director and college professor Darrel Alejandro Holnes, Candela symbolizes the program's mission to light the way for emerging theater artists. "Candela gets its name from the Spanish word for candle because it's meant to light a fire in our fellows so that they each can go their own way and light new paths for others to follow," said Holnes.

Candela's mission is to close the gap created by geographic, economic, and social obstacles that many from our communities face in accessing high-quality education. By providing direct access to resources at no cost to fellows, Candela reaffirms that education is a human right and that the arts are not extracurricular but extra essential. Candela is uniquely dedicated to providing emerging playwrights and musical theater writers of Latin American and Caribbean descent the educational tools necessary to hone their craft and skills. "We aim to help our fellows make a dynamic impact in the field by encouraging them to go their own way," Holnes added.

Scholar and multi-hyphenate theatermaker Dr. Daphnie Sicre of UC Riverside joins Holnes as a program director, leveraging her insights and extensive experience in the field, "helping produce this summer program is the best way to grant access to future Latine and Caribbean theater makers who haven't been given an opportunity in musical theatre. But this program is not just about providing education; it's also about creating a community of support and inspiration. By bringing together this incredible group of faculty and fellows, we're fostering an environment where creativity can flourish, and barriers can be broken down. We're lighting the path forward for these emerging artists through Candela."

The flagship program, the Playwrights Summer Fellowship, lovingly referred to as the Summer Jam by its fellows, alternates between playwrights and musical theater writers each year. This year, we opened the fellowship to any emerging musical theater writer of Latin American and Caribbean descent from anywhere in the world. This inclusivity is integral to the mission and ensures that everyone feels valued and welcomed regardless of background. Last year, Candela welcomed ten playwrights from across the country into its inaugural class: Peggy Robles-Alvarado, Phillip Gregory Burke, Adrian Costa, Diego Lanao, Tanya Perez, Nilsa Reyna, Rebbekah Vega-Romero, Jaymes Sanchez, Daniela Thome, and Andrew Aaron Valdez. The inaugural fellows went on to present work in Sol Project's Sol Fest last year and recently formed a collective called Diez, which won a $10,000 grant from NALAC. This year, it will welcome eighteen musical theater writers from around the world into its second cohort.

This year's fellows include Julio Hanson, Rosarito Rodríguez, Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, R. Réal Vargas Alanis, Jessica Carmona, Maya Malan-Gonzalez, Rebbekah Vega-Romero, Carissa Atallah, Phillip Gregory Burke, Nataylia Roni, Demian Chavez Galvan, Samora la Perdida, Dionne Verwey, Ryan Oliveira, Phanésia Pharel, Joshua Jean-Baptiste, Khristián Méndez Aguirre, and Allex Miranda.

This year's esteemed faculty includes Dominique Morisseau (Tony Award-nominated playwright, AIN'T TOO PROUD, SKELETON CREW), Quiara Alegría Hudes (Pulitzer Prize winner, IN THE HEIGHTS), Kristoffer Diaz (Pulitzer finalist, Tony nominee HELL'S KITCHEN), CQ (BEASTGIRL), Caridad Svich (LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA/EL AMOR EN LOS TIEMPOS DE COLERA), Emmanuel Wilson (Dramatists Guild of America, co-executive director), Ralph Sevush (Dramatists Guild of America, co-executive director), Amrita Ramanan (Dramaturg at The Public), Michael R. Jackson (A STRANGE LOOP), Aurin Squire (A WONDERFUL WORLD), David Henry Hwang (SOFT POWER, M. BUTTERFLY, AIDA, CHINGLISH), Dr. Brian Herrera (Princeton University), Dr. Daphnie Sicre (UC Riverside/Co-AD of Ammunition Theatre), Jaime Lozano (EL OTRO OZ), Carmen Rivera (LA LUPE; CELIA: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF CELIA CRUZ), and Joey Contreras (ALL THE KIDS ARE DOING IT, FORGET ME NOT), and more! The fellows will also have an opportunity to engage with our keynote, Daphne Rubin-Vega (RENT, Film: IN THE HEIGHTS, TV: SMASH), and a panel that includes NYU Musical Theatre graduates: Marcus Perkins, Jinhyoung Kim, and Morgan Smart.

This year's partners and co-sponsors include the Dramatists Guild of America, Latinx Theater Commons, The Sol Project, Robleswrites, Repertorio Español, New York City Center, New York Theater Workshop, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, New York University's Graduate Musical Theater Program, New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, New York University's Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, New York University's Liberal Studies, and the City University of New York: Medgar Evers College.

For more information, interview requests, or comments, please visit candelafellows.com or email dah17@nyu.edu

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