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Playwrights
Stephanie Tolan: Author/Playwright
Katherine Paterson: Co-Playwright
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte
Surviving the Applewhites
Born in Ohio and raised in Wisconsin, Stephanie S. Tolan has been writing stories ever since she was in fourth grade. Before she wrote her first story books had always been close companions, but it was on discovering that she could create stories herself that she officially decided to become a writer. She majored in Creative Writing at Perdue University, and followed that with a Master's Degree in English. One husband, three stepsons and a son of her own later, Stephanie was still writing, and began to have numerous books to her credit. When Surviving the Applewhites arrived in the scene in 2002 it was selected as a Newbery Honor Book, one of the highest honors a writer for young people can receive.
Katherine Paterson was born in China in 1932, where she spent the first 18 years of her life as the middle daughter of missionary parents. She earned an English Degree from Kings College in Bristol, Tennessee, then moved to Lovettsville, Virginia to teach 6th grade. After a year in Virginia, she returned overseas as a missionary to Japan, where she taught for four years. In 1964 she married John Paterson and together they raised 4 children (two adopted and two of their own). She is author of numerous books, including the Newbery Award Winning Bridge to Terabithia. She and Stephanie Tolan have been collaborating as playwrights for many years.
Dwayne Hartford
Childsplay
A Tale of Two Cities
Dwayne Hartford is originally from a small town in central Maine. He received his BFA from the Boston Conservatory. He is an Associate Artist with Childsplay, acting and directing for the company, as well as serving as Artistic Administrator. Dwayne began writing plays eight years ago. His first play, Eric and Elliot, was named the 2005 Distinguished Play by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education. It is published by Dramatic Publishing, along with The Imaginators, which was also developed and produced by Childsplay. The Imaginators was subsequently produced and aired on KAET TV, the Phoenix PBS affiliate. In June 2007, A Tale of Two Cities was chosen to take part in NYU’s New Plays for Young Audiences Program, a play development workshop at the Provincetown Playhouse in New York City. Seattle Children’s Theatre plans a 2009 production of the piece. Childsplay has also commissioned and is producing another one of Dwayne’s plays this season, A Little Bit of Water.
Y York
People’s Light & Theatre
Getting Near to Baby
Y's third millennium plays include Framed (SmashBox Productions, 2007) ; Bleachers in the Sun (SmashBox, 2008) ;. and LA is Burning, (New Harmony Project, 2007) ; River Rat and Cat (ChildsPlay premiere, 2006) ; Nothing is the Same (TCG-Pew Charitable Trust, Kennedy Center New Visions/New Voices Festival, 2004) ; Fork in the Road, 2004; The Forgiving Harvest (AT&T: Onstage Award, People's Light premiere, 2004, AATE Distinguished Play Award, 2006) ; Mask of the Unicorn Warrior (Rockefeller Foundation grant, Seattle Children's Theatre premiere, 2001) The Othello (4-character hip hop adaptation, Mile Square Productions, 2005) ; Krisit (Primary Stages, 2001) ; also: The New Dark Clarity; 3-character It Comes Around; The Kissing List of Margaret Jones, and Mary's Eddy. Y is currently working on a musical and the adaptation of Jerry Spinelli's Eggs for People's Light, 2009. Earlier work is happily still produced in theatres across the country and is available from Broadway Play Publishing, Dramatic Publishing, St. Martin's Press, Smith and Kraus, or from Carl Mulert at The Gersh Agency, New York. In June, 2006, Y received the Hawaii State Award for Literature. She is a proud alumna of New Dramatists, member of the Dramatists Guild, and still lives with Mark Lutwak to whom most things are dedicated.
Y York would like to thank the following institutions and individuals for assistance in development of the script: Dr. Nancy Swortzell and NYU's Provincetown Playhouse New Play Development Series; Jeff Kennedy and Arizona State University West; Childsplay; my Hawaii actors who sat in my living room and read the script to me; and especially Mark Lutwak for directing the workshops and for endless intrepid dramaturgical help.
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