News and Updates

My new play YOUNG NEGRESS STEPPING OUT OF THE RIVER AT DAWN will open for a limited-run production starting this coming week at Center Stage in Greenville, SC. It won their New Play Festival last year, and I'm very excited to get to work with them again. Tuesday, September 16, 2014 at 7:00pm Wednesday, September 17, 2014 at 7:00pm Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 7:00pm Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 7:00pm Sunday, September 28, 2014 at 7:00pm PRESS: Preview article in The Greenville News

I'm very glad to share that my new play YOUNG NEGRESS STEPPING OUT OF THE RIVER AT DAWN will have two limited-run productions this coming season. Center Stage (Greenville, SC) will present the play in September, 2014, as part of their inaugural "On the Fringe" series. The series examines edgier work and runs in rep with their mainstage production of Hands on a Hard Body book by Doug Wright, lyrics by Amanda Green, music by Trey Anastasio & Amanda Green. I'm honored to continue to work with Centre Stage after winning their New Play Festival in 2013. Mixed Blood Theatre (Minneapolis, MN) will present the play in May, 2015, as part of their 55454 series which examines the African and Muslim experience in America. I'll have the chance to workshop the play for two weeks, then it will enjoy a short weekend run. I'm thrilled to be working with Owiso Odera again, and collaborating with Aditi Kapil (director), Antu Jacob , and Irungu Mutu for the first t...

My new play YOUNG NEGRESS STEPPING OUT OF THE RIVER AT DAWN has been published in the Great Plains Theatre Conference Reader: 2013 Mainstage . As one of only five plays selected, this new book highlights my work alongside other rising playwrights. It also represents the next step in the life of this play - with more to come.

After an amazing week in Greenville, SC, I'm so happy that my new play YOUNG NEGRESS STEPPING OUT OF THE RIVER AT DAWN was chosen as the winner of the 2013 Centre Stage New Play Festival . Thanks very much to an amazing cast and director, Ahsha Daniels, who worked so hard to make this reading a challenging, enjoyable evening. We had an incredible audience response, and I was grateful for the chance to hear the play aloud, and learn more about this story.

I'm thrilled to announce that my new play YOUNG NEGRESS STEPPING OUT OF THE RIVER AT DAWN has been selected for the 2013 Centre Stage New Play Festival in Greenville, SC. As one of only three plays selected, I will enjoy a week of workshop, rehearsal, and a formal presentation. This story has been a labor of love since the very beginning, and I am so glad to have the chance to share it with new audiences.

My new play YOUNG NEGRESS STEPPING OUT OF THE RIVER AT DAWN will enjoy a Main Stage reading next week at the 2013 Great Plains Theatre Conference in Omaha, NE. I've had a great time working with the director D. Scott Glasser and composer Mark Bruckner, and I'm very excited to share this new play. UPDATE: Winner of the Holland New Voices Playwright Award

My new play YOUNG NEGRESS STEPPING OUT OF THE RIVER AT DAWN was selected for a main stage reading at the 2013 Great Plains Theatre Conference this coming summer in Omaha. I'm humbled and honored to be selected for this event. Playwrights being featured this year include Erik Ehn who graciously advised me in the early stages of this project, and also Kate Snodgrass who encouraged and challenged me during the Summer Playwrights' Intensive at the Kennedy Center last year. It's gonna be a great week!

If you need a warm, dry, well-lighted place to spend a few hours on Friday evening, then come by The Dramatists Guild for their Friday Night Footlights series. My new play YOUNG NEGRESS STEPPING OUT OF THE RIVER AT DAWN will have a reading and I'd love to have you there. This play grew out of my experiences in Rwanda earlier this year. It shines a spotlight on the daily struggles of a small population of illegal immigrants living and working in the United States, as they seek to harmonize the demands of their own culture and traditions, with a new life far from home. Featuring: Donnetta Lavinia Grays - ALYZE Owiso Odera - MARTIN Jamyl Dobson - EDMOND JoAnna Rhinehart - RONNIE Our director is the lovely Mary Birnbaum . WHEN: Friday, November 2, 2012 at 6:00 PM (promptly) WHERE: The Dramatists Guild - 1501 Broadway, Suite 710