Staging the World from Parramatta

Nine Black, Indigenous and People of Colour playwrights from Western Sydney have been selected for the National Theatre of Parramatta’s inaugural mentorship program; they have the unique opportunity to work with multi-award winning writer, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Chair and Professor in the Practice of Playwriting at the Yale School of Drama and Playwright in Residence at Yale Rep.

The playwrights selected will work with McCraney over two weeks to develop their writing. They are:

• Ayeesha Ash (2022 All About Women of Colour Mentorship, 2019 FBi Radio SMAC Award for ‘Best On Stage’.)
• Challito Browne (completed the Netflix and AIF “Grow Creative” Workshop.)
• James Elazzi (Finalist 2021/2022 Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting, Finalist 2019/2022 for
  the Silver Gull Play Award, shortlisted 2021 Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award.)
• Kirsty Marillier (2022 Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting, Winner of the 2020 Max Afford
  Playwrights Award, 2019 Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award, Bruntwood Prize
  Nominee)
• Moreblessing Maturure (2022 Finalist Shane & Cathryn Brennan Prize for Playwriting,
  Bruntwood Prize Nominee, 2022 Finalist Australian Theatre Festival NYC New Play
  Award, 2020 FBi Radio SMAC Award for ‘Best Artist’)
• Jules Orcullo (APRA/AMCOS Professional Development Award Shortlist 2022)
• Shakthidharan Sivanathan (2020 Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting, Victorian Premier’s
  overall Literature Prize, Helpmann Awards, Phillip Parson’s Playwright Award and Kirk
  Robson award)
• Taofia Pelesasa (2021 Griffin Theatre studio-artist in residence, Queer Screen Pitch Off)
• Dylan Van Den Berg (Victorian Premier’s Award for Drama and NSW Premier’s Award for
  Playwriting, 2021 Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting, 2020 Griffin Award for New Playwriting, 2020 Rodney Seaborn Playwright’s Award, Canberra Critic’s Circle Award, Kate Challis RAKA Award and Bruntwood Prize Nominee.)

McCraney has an impressive background. He is a member of both the Teo Castellanos/D-Projects Theatre Company in Miami and the well-known Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble. He co-wrote, Moonlight, the 2016 film based on his own work In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, which won him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Other plays of his include Head of Passes, Wig Out!, and the The Brother/Sister Plays trilogy, which includes The Brothers Size, In the Red and Brown Water, and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet. He is the creator of the OWN series, David Makes Man, and wrote the screenplay for High Flying Bird.

His has won the Whiting Award, the Steinberg Playwright Award, the Doris Duke Artists Award, the Windham-Campbell Prize, the London Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, the New York TimesOutstanding Playwright Award, the Paula Vogel Award, and a 2013 MacArthur Fellowship.

NTP Executive Producer Joanne Kee said, “This is the most amazing opportunity to receive mentoring from significant international artists. I am committed to having visible, powerful, positive role models for our artists and the development of craft”.