16th Annual Dwight/Edge Project Pairs Middle Schoolers with Yale Mentors

Yale Repertory Theatre and Yale School of Drama announce the 16th annual Dwight/Edgewood Project (D/EP). This annual after-school initiative pairs eight local middle-school students with Yale School of Drama mentors, designers, and directors. The students spend the month of June learning about theatre and writing original plays. The program culminates in performances of the students’ work at New Haven’s Off-Broadway Theater.


Eight original plays, written by the young playwrights and designed, produced, and performed by Yale School of Drama students, will be presented over two evenings. Performance dates are Friday, June 24th and Saturday, June 25th at 7:00PM. New Haven’s Off-Broadway Theater is located at 41 Broadway. Admission is free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first come, first served basis.

D/EP 2011 will include 8 local students from Augusta Lewis Troup School, who were chosen by Lighthouse Resource Teacher Judith Goodrich, based on their interest in writing and storytelling. This year’s playwrights are Zamora Alan (6th grade), Noah Brown (7th grade), Chienye Emenyonu (6th grade), Amber Green (6th grade), DiJhon McCoy (6th grade), Joshua Ruiz (7th grade), Ja’Leah Swift (6th grade), and Audrey Young (6th grade).

The staff of the Dwight/Edgewood Project 2011 includes Jorge J. Rodríguez (Producing Director), Lico Whitfield (General Manager and Yale Presidential Fellow), Ben Fainstein and Brad Tuggle (Directors), Nikki Delhomme (Scenic Designer), Rebecca Welles (Costume Designer), Tom Delgado (YSD ’09, Lighting Designer), Keri Klick (Sound Designer), Jennifer Lagundino (Production Stage Manager), and Hsiao-Ya Chen (Technical Director). Mentors include Monique Barbee, Will Cobbs (Yale Presidential Fellow), Tanya Dean, Rob Grant, Stéphanie Hayes, Sheria Irving, Brian Valencia, and Jon Wemette.

Dipika Guha, YSD ’09 and former D/EP mentor ’10, and Michael Walkup, YSD ’08 and former D/EP director ’06-’07 and Artistic Coordinator ’08, will join the company as this year’s Teaching Artists.

The Dwight/Edgewood Project 2011 is made possible in part by Yale Repertory Theatre/Yale School of Drama, Ms. Esme Usdan, The Lucille Lortel Foundation, the Jane Marcher Foundation, Yale University Office of New Haven and State Affairs, and individual donors.