VOICES OF AMERICA WRITERS WORKSHOP
Created and taught by David Davila, the Voices of America Writers Workshop is a free eight-week workshop for people of color and members of the trans community who want to tell their own stories through play and screenwriting.
The program was created in response to the inequality of opportunities available to marginalized communities. In this workshop writers use tools from creative writing, dramatic writing, and comedy writing/improv - focusing on idea generation, the art of dialogue, and story structure to create multi-dimensional characters and captivating narratives.
At the end of the workshop writers present scenes in a public reading and are then invited to the PlayGround Experiment to continue working on their new creations.
PRESENTATION #12
June 12, 2024
To watch, go HERE.
The Cafe by Christine C. Hsu with Monica Villa, Amanda Shi, SD: Rafa Perez
Moments by U.J. Mangune with Isabel Barredo, Mars Taska, Elijah Punzal, Sibyl Santiago, Yz Jasa, SD: Sandra Parris
Chatters by Andrew Aaron Valdez with Danny Borba, Cindy De La Cruz, Daniel Loyola, Gilberto Saenz, Francisco Miranda Zerpa, Tanya Perez, SD: Sandra Parris
Xiao Nian by Mijiang “M-Jay” He with Christine Fang, M.A. Garner, Elijah Punzal, John Wen, SD: Sandra Parris
A Normal Family Visit by Allyson Kloster with Bug Johnson, Catherine Overfelt, Christine Redhead, Christopher Rothbauer, Veronica Dang, SD: Rafa Perez
Airplane Day by Harrow Sansom Choi with Christopher Rothbauer, Sydney Vollmer, Jasmine Spiess, M.A. Garner, Nancy Ma, SD: Sandra Parris
Auntie UnNamed by Jessica W. Chen with Karen Lee, Nancy Ma, Christine Fang, Danny Borba, Christine Redhead, Veronica Dang, Monica Villa, Sibyl Santiago, John Wen, C. Sadie, SD: Rafa Perez
“The Red Pepper” by Choice Plasencia, with Lluvia Almanza, Raquel Gomez
“Good Triggers” by Andrew Cristi, with Joey Ledonio, Wayne Miller, Sandra Paris
“Children of the Basement” by Elijah Punzal, with Jasper Capalad, Simon Santos, Gabs Cervas, Nikki Liv Basas
“Mother’s Cove or, why do all the women in my family have names that end in a?“ by Flo Gill, with Sunita Mukhi, Maria Isabella Rojas, Anjali Khuruna, Lluvia Almanza, Matthew Menendez
“The Box” by Francis Madi, with Jess Ducey, Regina Carregha
“El Tiempo Que Tenemos (The Time We Have)“ by Ollie Corchado, with Maria Isabella Rojas, Ana Sophia Colon, Orlando Rodriguez, Noemi de la Puente
“The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here” by Robin Moulton, with Brandon Weber, Laura E. Johnston, Starr Kirkland, Natalyia Roni, Sandra Parris
“The Tragedy of Life: A Story of Love and Loss” by Betsy Regus, with Allesandra Almanza, Veronica Dang, Zuleyma Guevara, Alexandra de Suze, Liz Days, Brandon Weber, Marco Aponte
Letter Play by Ja'Michael De'Shawn
Brandon Webber, Johnny Brown, SD: Maks Turner
Stand Clear by Jonghee Celeste Quispe
Carter Ford, Graceann Dorse, Paeton Chavis, Peter Pasco, SD: Jose Pereyra
Felicidad by Rafa Perez
Jose Pereyra, Lluvia Almanza, Nilsa Reyna, Orlando Rodriguez, SD: Maks Turner
If Only I Had by Sandra Parris
Bill Johnson, Brittaney Delsarté Chatman, Laura E. Johnston, SD: Jose Pereyra
Home Sweet Home by Tyler Dobies
Ace McCarthy, Ray Elizabeth Wilson, M.A. Garner, Paeton Chavis, SD: Maks Turner
Bonds That Hold Us by Christine Redhead
Bryn Packard, Laura E. Johnston, Matthew Menendez, Ruthie Rado, Starr Kirkland, SD: Jose Pereyra
I Can Cry If I Want To by Natalie Camunas
Alexandra Lemus, Crissy Guerrero, Daniel Penilla, Jennifer Paredes, Karina Noelle Castillo, Melinna Bobadilla, SD:Justin P. Lopez
Nationals by Katie Kirk
Kirsten Hopkins, M.A. Garner-Santos, Maria Arreola, Maria Isabella Rojas, Matthew Menendez, Veronica Dang, SD: Jose Pereyra
Lola’s Arsenal by Yadira de la Riva
Anel Carmon, Camila Perez, Eugene Negrete, Lluvia Almanza, SD:Justin P. Lopez
Girl Fight by Aviona Rodriguez Brown
Christine Redhead, Courtney L. Black, Ivory Bennett, Nicole Orabona, SD: Jose Pereyra
UNTITLED by Taylor Leigh Lamb
Brandon Weber, Chris Rothbauer, Paeton Chavis, Priyanka Krishnan, Sandra Paris, Starr Kirkland, SD:Justin P. Lopez
PRESENTATION #8
december 10, 2021
To watch, go HERE.
Golden Sugar Baby by Sergio Garcia
Frankie LaPace, Luis Macias
A Wedding in May by Maria Arreola
Starr Kirkland, Daniela Thome, Eric Mead
Maximillion: The Great by Germôna Sharp
Ekemini Ekpo, Ivory Bennett, Scenarious Thurmond, Starr Kirkland, Brendan Weber, Richard McBride
The City of Ramon by Linett Luna Tovar
Dillon Yruegas, Jacky Segui, Veronica Dang, David M. Kirby, Daniela Thome
DÉJAME EN PAZ by Nadia Andrade
Jai Mohan, Nicole Orabona, Julia Botero, James Wong, Jose Pereyra, Gil Torres
El exorcismo de Georgie Garcia by Peter Pasco
Taylor Mitchell, Isabel Quientero, Marco Aponte, Danny Borba
Keep an Eye on Him by Al Monaco
Caitlin Belforti, John Racioppo, Maya Rosewood, Monica Rounds, Niall Ridgely, Spencer Aste, Darpan Joshi
What’s Yours is His by Denisse Mendoza
Julia Sosa, Marco Aponte, Peter Pasco, Zuleyma Guevara, Jackelyn Segui
Before We Go To Far by Ivory Bennett
Brandon Weber, Christine Redhead, Courtney Black, Lauren Lynch-Novakovic, Darpan Joshi
Everyone Dies at the End by Mac Raymond
Anjali Khurana, Bug, Dillon Yruegas, Eric Mead, Jackelyn Segui
PRESENTATION #6
June 2, 2021
To watch, go HERE.
Undying Wishes by Courtney Seyl
Claire Sheill, Kirsten Hopkins, Marie Elena O’Brien, Rebecca Hoodwin, Tamarah Tucker
Dangerous Cycles by Jackelyn Segui
Alessandra Almanza, Alexandra Castro, Elizabeth Ramirez, Julia Botero, Maria Isabella Rojas, Michael Perdomo
Desert Dreams by Scenarious Thurmond
Arthur Gregory Pugh, Brandon Weber, Christine Redhead, Eternanda Fudge, Starr Kirkland
Breathing Fire by Darpan Joshi
Angela Hsu, Amritpal Bharth, Chris Rothbauer, Imran Sheikh, Mahi-maSaigal, Priyanka Krishnan
PRESENTATION #5
December 18, 2020
To watch, go HERE.
I’m Not Myself by Louis Johnson
Dave Shepard, Tanya Perez, SD: Christopher Buchanan
Let Them Eat Cake by Bonita Elery
Anthony Donalog, Starr Kirkland, SD: Robin L. Dimension
Larry by Angela Hsu
Alexandra Kumala, Eric Mead, Jonathan Wong Frye, Julian Leong, Karen Lee, SD: Justin P. Lopez
Corrine by Michael Perdomno
Alex Castro, Maria Isabella Rojas, Ollie Corchado, SD: Christopher Buchanan
Somewhere in the Miles by Jose Manuel Pereyra
Alessandra Almanza, Ben Melendez, Elijah Hernandez, Zuleyma Guavara, SD: Robin L. Dimension
Fix Me by Emma Claye
Christine Redhead, Eternanda Fudge, Josette Marina Murray, Matthew Menendez, Morgan McGhee, Priyanka Krishnan, SD: Marta Rymer
PRESENTATION #4
September 23, 2020
To watch, go HERE.
We Did What Now? by Tamarah Tucker
Cece Suazo Harris, Tanya Perez, SD: Kendra Augustin
Wolf In The Woods by Lillian Andrea de Leon
Lluvia Almanza, Tanya DeLeon, Alexandra Kumala, Charles Barksdale, SD: Matthew Menendez
Allegro Scherzando by McKinley Winston Jr.
Brandon Weber, Hakim Rashad McMillian
Part Of The 5th - The Adventures of Messy by Robin L Dimension
Diane Quinn, Grace Woosley, Tiffany Frances, Tony D. Head, Chris Rothbauer, SD: Laura Johnston
Somewhere in the Miles by Jose Manuel Pereyra
Luis Alberto Quintero, Orlando Rodriguez, Zuleyma Guavara, SD: Kendra Augustin
Goodbye, Little George by Fernando Vieira
Anthony Ruiz Jr., Flower Rios, Jamil Al-Chokhachi, Denise Lock, SD: Matthew Menendez
Dinner with the Rents by Jessica Lozano
Noemi de la Puente, Sharlene Hartman, Alex Castro, Marco
Aponte, Jordan Auslander, Miles Butler
Liminal by Tabatha Gayle
Kieron Anthony, Emma Claye, Bryn Packard, Ruthie Rado, Michael
Torello, SD: Laura Johnston
PRESENTATION #3
June 24, 2020
To watch, go HERE.
Can You Hear Me? by Ysabel Jasa
Alexandra Kumala, Isabella Dawis, Justin Patrick Lopez, Lydia Gaston
La Violencia by Daniel Bedoya
Daniel Colòn, Elizabeth Ramirez, J.J. Phillips, Randal Rodriguez
Larry by Angela Hsu
Anthony Ruiz, Grant Chang, Jessica Chang, Karen Lee
Sorry I Kissed You by Aaron Jin
Christine Redhead, Daniel Anthony Hidalgo, Daniela Thome, Gabriel Mark Leung, Mahima Saigal, Marta Rymer, Matthew Menendez
Small Asian Big City by M.A. Santos-Garner
Andres Coronado, Isaac Garza, Joey Ledonia, Jose Sepulveda, Kelvyn Mitchell, Ricardo Holguin
PRESENTATION #2
June 17, 2020
To watch, go HERE.
The Re-education of Fernando by Justin Patrick Lopez
Ariel Estrada, Daniel Colon, Jimmy Moon, Tony Ortega, Ysabel Jasa
Shadows by Morgan McGhee
Charles Barksdale, Hakim Rashad, Jarvis Manning, Lindsay Roberts, Robin L. Dimension, Siane Wilson, Tiffany Frances
Life, Or So it Seems by Emma Claye
Ashley Mitchell, Chase Naylor, Christine Redhead, Eternanda Fudge, Evan Edwards, Julia Lema, Shoya Dixon
Settle Down / Almost Sitcom Star by Kendra Augustin
Alexandra Kumala, Christopher Buchanan, Joy Jacobs, Kieron Anthony, Paeton Chavis, Starr Kirkland
Shop Play by Alexandra Castro
Daniela Thome, Jayson Kerr, Lillian Andrea de Leon, Lluvia Almanza, Nilsa Reyna, Ollie Corchado, Tess Rodriguez
PRESENTATION #1
April 22, 2020
To watch, go HERE.
Cradle & All by Laura E. Johnston
Actors: Richarda Abrams, Sandra Parris, SD: Kendra Augustin
Lena, Baby Lamb by Tamara Torres
Actors: Daniela Luca, Daniela Thome, Larissa Adamczyk, SD: Julia Botero
Drums Along the Hudson by Soraya Sussman
Actors: Heidi Armbruster, John J. Concado, Marta Rymer, SD:Justin Lopez
Untitled CI Project by Alexandra Kumala
Actors: Angela Hsu, Eric Mead, Jayson Kerr, Priyanka Krishnan, SD: Tidtaya
Everything After April by Maria Isabella Rojas
Actors: Alexandra Castro, Drew Jordan, Emma Claye, George
Pappas, SD: Monica Rey
The Armando Project by Orlando Rodriquez
Actors: Daniel Bedoya, Frankie LaPace, Lluvia Almanza, Luis
Alberto Quintero, Raul Meruelo, SD: Aaron Jin
Corrine by Michael Perdomo
Actors: Jeremy Feight, Kieron Anthony, Mark Andrew Garner,
Morgan McGhee, Ollie Corchado, SD: Thomas Dieter
Konnect 212 by Adrian Alexander
Actors: Adrian Alexander, Alex Bartner, Gabriella Alexandra,
Gabriella Urquia, Maria Huyghue, Peter Santiago, SD: Gilbert
Cruz