Our Brief (physical) Encounters Playwrights:
Join us in getting to know the playwrights of our second annual ten-minute play festival, Brief (physical) Encounters.
Playwright: James Haro; Alouette (An April Atwater Short)
James Haro is a Mexican-American playwright/producer from Los Angeles, based in Philadelphia. Select plays include DAFFY, Post-April, (Stab Play): A Karaoke Tragedy, and What It Looks Like (Or, Something Resembling…). His plays have been produced with ReVamp Collective, Brat Productions, and Drexel University, and have been presented as part of SoLow Fest and Fringe Festival in Philadelphia. He has been lucky enough to work in various capacities with such companies as Theatre Exile, Theatre Horizon, Applied Mechanics, FringeArts, Sam Tower + Ensemble, Berserker Residents, Circle X Theater Co., Boston Court, and Women’s Project Theater. Follow him @jamdanharo
Playwright: Lisa VillaMil; Breadcrumbs
Lisa VillaMil holds a Master’s in “Classical and Contemporary Text (Acting)” from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. Her writings include plays, short plays, a cabaret, and one-acts. Lisa is a co-founder of the TransAtlantic company Now What Theatre, which took her original play, Kara Sevda, on tour in North America in spring and summer 2017, as well as to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Other notable works include: Wilds, a one act, which received its premiere in Glasgow, July 2017; Le Coup de Foudre, a full-length cabaret, which received its premiere in Edinburgh, May 2017, through Adjust Productions; September 18th, a ten minute play, which won the June 2017 4x6 Fest in Tampa, Florida; Breadcrumbs, a ten minute play premiering through Philadelphia’s Revamp Collective in February, 2018. Her full- length play, Salamander, is receiving its premiere in 2018 with The Owl and Cat Theatre in Melbourne, Australia.
Lisa currently lives and works at Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley, PA, as a resident acting company member.
Other notable works include: Wilds, a one act, which received its premiere in Glasgow, July 2017; Le Coup de Foudre, a full-length cabaret, which received its premiere in Edinburgh, May 2017, through Adjust Productions; September 18th, a ten minute play, which won the June 2017 4x6 Fest in Tampa, Florida; Breadcrumbs, a ten minute play premiering through Philadelphia’s Revamp Collective in February, 2018. Her full- length play, Salamander, is receiving its premiere in 2018 with The Owl and Cat Theatre in Melbourne, Australia.
Lisa currently lives and works at Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley, PA, as a resident acting company member.
Playwright: Keenya Jackson; The Return of the Shogun
Keenya Jackson is a Philadelphia playwright. In 2015 she became an active member of the Philadelphia Dramatist Center (PDC) and in 2017 joined the board of directors for the company. Now in 2018 serves as the board secretary. In 2016, her play Real Images won a partial reading the Playwright’s Happy Hour Showcase. She has studied playwriting at Play Penn in Philadelphia and at the National Playwrights Symposium in Cape May, NJ. Keenya is also an active member of the Dramatists Guild.
Playwright: Julie Zaffarano; Outside In
Julie Zaffarano is a playwright in the Philadelphia area who believes everyone’s lives are made of a myriad of stories. Most recent production: The PlayMakers, was named the Winner in the 2016 What If? Productions Annual Playwrights Festival Best New Work in Charleston South Carolina produced in June 2017. Scheduled: Turkey Baby with Juniper Productions; Destiny is a Careless Waiter, Bobcat Productions; Not So Charming, R-Act Productions; Kentucky Lemonade (reading), Town and Country Players; and Naughty Marietta (Revised 2018) with Rose Valley Chorus and Orchestra. Recent recognitions and readings: Semi Finalist, 2017 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference (Kentucky Lemonade); Winner, Maryland Ensemble Theatre (METLab) 2017 Festival; A Work in Progress Theatre, Baltimore; “Readings at the Drake” PlayPenn series (Wilma Theatre, Philadelphia); Philadelphia Dramatists Center (PDC) Playwrights Showcase; Cloverdale Playhouse “Page to Stage Contest, PDC Reading Series; Semi Finalist, Dayton FutureFest; Honorable Mention, Ohio State University New Play Fest; Finalist, Villanova University 2016 Sue Winge Playwriting Competition; Finalist for the Strange Sun Theatre Greenhouse 2016; and Semi-Finalist for Actors Theatre of Charlotte Nuvoices. Short works have been produced by Pittsburgh New Work Festival, RL Productions, Town and Country Players, South Street Players, Plays & Players, and ReVamp Collective.
Julie is a member of Dramatist Guild, Philadelphia Dramatists Center, and the Minneapolis Playwrights Center. She holds two Masters Degrees: MA in Classical Studies and an MS in Organization Science from Villanova University. She lives in Broomall, PA with her husband, Dave, and loves spending time with their five children.
Julie is a member of Dramatist Guild, Philadelphia Dramatists Center, and the Minneapolis Playwrights Center. She holds two Masters Degrees: MA in Classical Studies and an MS in Organization Science from Villanova University. She lives in Broomall, PA with her husband, Dave, and loves spending time with their five children.
Playwright: Emma Needleman; Focus Group
Emma Needleman is a writer and comedian from Philadelphia.
She holds a Bachelor's degree from Brandeis University and a Master's in English from UW-Madison. Her fiction and essays have appeared in various zines, journals, and online publications. Previous writing for the stage includes a comedic play about the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and various sketch shows. She is a company member at PHIT Comedy and performs weekly with the longform improv teams Metropolis and Hooch.
Playwright: Stephanie N. Walters; The Wall with Four Eyes
Stephanie N. Walters is a Barrymore nominated actor, emerging playwright and teaching artist in Philadelphia. Stephanie is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and a founding member of Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists. Regional credits include: Walnut St. Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company, InterAct Theatre Company, Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists and Orbiter 3 (Peaceable Kingdom, Barrymore Nominated Best Supporting Actress in a Play). She is a first year member of The Foundry and her writing has been showcased at Dragon’s Eye Theatre, Future is Female Festival, Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival, Revamp Collective, Asian Arts Initiative, and Philly Improv Theatre. She most recently returned from a workshopping her latest play, Are You My Father, at the HBMG Foundation; Asian Arts Initiative to workshop in the spring. Stephanie is currently a student at PlayPenn and a proud graduate of Bucknell University, London Dramatic Academy, and CAP21. www.stephanienwalters.com
Playwright: Chris Davis; Alice and Tommy Cross the Street
Chris Davis (actor/writer) is a writer and performer residing in Philadelphia, PA. Recent projects include solo shows The Last Emperor of Mexico, One-Man Apocalypse Now (★★★★★ - “superbly crafted” - Underdog Reviews), Juan-Winfield, Bortle 8 (“…a strikingly original writer and performer.” - The Scotsman), Drunk Lion (“A potent success” ★★★★★ - TV Bomb), and Violence of the Lambs (“…absurd comedy at its very best." ★★★★★ – The Student Newspaper ). His solo shows have toured throughout the United States and Europe. He has participated in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the last 4 years.
Other projects Peaceable Kingdom (Orbiter 3), Damned Dirty Apes! (Renegade Theater), Alias Ellis Mackenzie (Thaddeus Phillips), Anna K (Philly Fringe 2014), Holly’s Dead Soldiers (Philly Fringe 2013),The Post-Show (Berserker Residents), Vainglorious (Applied Mechanics). He was selected as one of Billy Penn’s Artists to Watch Out For 2017.
More info: www.realchrisdavis.com
Other projects Peaceable Kingdom (Orbiter 3), Damned Dirty Apes! (Renegade Theater), Alias Ellis Mackenzie (Thaddeus Phillips), Anna K (Philly Fringe 2014), Holly’s Dead Soldiers (Philly Fringe 2013),The Post-Show (Berserker Residents), Vainglorious (Applied Mechanics). He was selected as one of Billy Penn’s Artists to Watch Out For 2017.
More info: www.realchrisdavis.com
Playwright: Hannah Wolff; Leigha's Heel
Hannah Wolff is a playwright and performer residing in the Philadelphia area.
This is her first project with Revamp Collective. In town she has also worked with Theatre Exile and Quintessence Theatre Group. Education: Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Much love to her friends and to you for reading this and for supporting the arts.
