The Philadelphia Young Playwrights fall showcase opened on October 29 at the Temple Theater. Freshman Joya Nath’s play “Renewed” was featured in this year’s showcase.
The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District has had a rich history with the Philadelphia Young Playwrights organization, a partnership that was renewed this year after discussions at a school board meeting.
The Young Playwrights Class is offered at Strath Haven Middle School for eighth-grade students. Students work with their teachers to develop writing skills. At the end of the semester, each student submits a 30-page play to be read and evaluated by a panel. These judges can choose the works that stood out to them from schools all over the area. Nath’s play was selected this way.
“It’s an elective that you could take in eighth grade, and we worked with our teacher, Ms. Eleanor Salgado,” Nath said. “It was over the course of a semester. And you see the process of how playwriting is different from typical writing. You get to do a lot of these creative workshops.”
There have been several winners in the past who were Haven students including Laila Kelly, Sarah Bagonis, Clark Kerkstra, and now Joya Nath. These students either won mentorships or spots at a showcase like the one opening.
These young playwrights participated in additional programs after taking the course. Nath is involved with the direction her play is going in before the final showcase.
“I got to help with casting, I got to help direct, and they really try and make you feel like you have as much control as possible over your writing and how it’s portrayed on stage. So it’s been really cool,” Nath said.
Eleanor Salgado has been teaching the immersive, creative class for 35 years, but with her recent departure from the district, middle school teacher Chris Sparks will be taking over her responsibilities.
“Ms. Salgado is the main reason why I love doing it,” Kate McGrath, a teaching artist for Philadelphia Young Playwrights, said. “I love the students. I love the fact that she pushes them to do a lot of writing. I just met Chris Sparks, who’s the faculty member who’s taking over. He seems really great. He’s got a treasure trove of things that Eleanor left for him.”
McGrath works with many schools in the area but has maintained a strong relationship with the program at Strath Haven.
“I have found that as I work with students, especially people who are just so advanced and mature, like Strath Haven students, it feeds my work as an artist as well,” McGrath said.
The program was renewed this year after discussion at a school board meeting on September 23. Board member Mary Jo Witkowski-Smith voiced her enthusiasm for the continuation of the program.
“I’m just thrilled that we’re continuing the young playwrights program,” Witowski-Smith said at the meeting. “In my experience, this is just a fantastic opportunity for our children to express their creativity.”
The main concern of renewing the program was the lack of diversity in children taking the elective. Board member Nannette Whitsett stated that the playwrights class has been predominantly composed of white students.
“On the Philadelphia Young Playwrights agreement, I just want a definitive answer on will black and brown and underserved, underprivileged students be more than encouraged, through their counselors and teachers, to see the gift that each child has in their classroom and give them a chance that has historically been a predominantly white class,” board member Nannette Whitsett said.
A fellow board member assured Whitsett that they would speak with counselors and school leaders to ensure diversity would be cultivated in the program.
According to the Young Playwright organization’s agreement with Strath Haven, discrimination will not be tolerated in the program.
The program at Strath Haven continues to thrive with full capacity for the class at the middle school. The production of Joya Nath’s play strengthens the growth of the arts program at Strath Haven.
“All of that really makes Strath Haven unique,” McGrath said. “It’s hard to find it anywhere else.”
