YPT was founded by award-winning playwright, Karen Zacarías in 1995. After earning an MFA in playwriting, Karen returned to her hometown of Washington, DC. Seeking to use her art to impact her community, she began to teach playwriting workshops in DC Public Schools. Karen knew the impact creative writing could have on a young person’s sense of empowerment from her own childhood experiences of using storytelling to cope with bullying by humanizing her bullies and imagining different endings to their interactions. Seeing how playwriting had a positive impact on students’ literacy skills, sense of empathy, and personal self-image, Karen was inspired to expand her work, incorporating YPT as a nonprofit in 1997.
Since launching our programming in one classroom in 1995, YPT has grown steadily over the last 25 years to serve more than 1,000 young people ages 8-24 and 1,000 audience members in all eight wards of Washington, DC, and areas of Northern Virginia and Maryland annually. YPT’s work is now supported by a full-time staff of eight, a part-time staff of two, and a roster of more than 50 professional teaching artists, actors, and theater artists who serve our young people, our schools, our partners, and their communities each year. Our work has expanded to include programs that serve elementary, middle, and high students during and after the school day and during summer, as well as college-level programs serving young people up to age 24. In 2014, YPT launched Silence is Violence, our annual social justice performance series that highlights our young people’s lived experiences and hopes for the future around issues of oppression that impact their community.
In recognition of the strength of YPT’s work in our community, we were awarded the 2010 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the highest national award for organizations like ours.
Company Details
- Employees
- 19
- Founded
- -
- Address
- 6925 Willow Street Nw,
- Industry
- Performing Arts
- NAICS
-
Performing Arts Companies
- Website
- yptdc.org
- Keywords
- arts education and Theater.
- HQ
- Washington, DC
- Competitors
- Alexandria Children's Theatre, Ylwbug LLC, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative, Akers&Co, Theatre Communications Group, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, Encore Stage & Studio, Arena Stage, Washington Improv Theater.
Young Playwrights' Theater Questions
Young Playwrights' Theater's website is yptdc.org
Young Playwrights' Theater's LinkedIn profile is https://www.linkedin.com/company/young-playwrights'-theater
Young Playwrights' Theater has
19 employees.
View email and phone details for 19
employees at Young Playwrights' Theater.
Young Playwrights' Theater's industry is
Performing Arts
Young Playwrights' Theater's top competitors are
Alexandria Children's Theatre,
Ylwbug Llc,
Wolf Trap Foundation For The Performing Arts,
Dc Arts And Humanities Education Collaborative,
Akers&co,
Theatre Communications Group,
Arena Stage At The Mead Center For American Theater,
Encore Stage & Studio,
Arena Stage,
Washington Improv Theater.
Young Playwrights' Theater's categories are Performing Arts
Young Playwrights' Theater's founding year is 1995
