The Mission of Playwrights Project is to empower people of all ages and backgrounds to voice stories through theatre, inspiring individual growth and creating meaningful community connections.

The Vision of Playwrights Project is to sustain an inclusive, compassionate community that broadens minds through the power of creativity and theatre.

Playwrights Project programs reach 10,000 people annually, serving youth in San Diego schools and underserved populations of all ages, including those who have experienced housing insecurity, poverty, foster care, immigration, substance use disorder, the justice system, and the military. Playwrights Project accomplishes these goals by:

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement

Playwrights Project empowers people of all ages and backgrounds to voice stories through theatre, inspiring growth and meaningful community connections. Our vision is to sustain an inclusive, compassionate community that broadens minds through the power of creativity and theatre.

Playwrights Project has championed individual voices throughout its 36-year history, with a focus on uplifting underserved communities. It also recognizes its history as a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) and will take the necessary steps to continue growing towards equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist practices that support and raise up BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and similarly marginalized individuals.

Racial Equity Statement

Playwrights Project is taking the following steps to continue growing equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist practices:

History

Deborah Salzer founded Playwrights Project in 1985 and enlisted renowned playwright Edward Albee to serve as Artistic Advisor for 20 years. Playwrights Project has earned its exceptional reputation in arts education through 36 years of dynamic and transformational playwriting programs for youth and its highly regarded Plays by Young Writers festival, which has launched the careers of many successful writers and playwrights. In 2007, Executive Director Cecelia Kouma expanded community programs, offering inclusive, accessible arts engagement to diverse communities across the region.

Collaboration

Playwrights Project collaborates with many organizations in San Diego County. We have created major programs with Anaheim Union High School District; Escondido Union High School District; San Diego City Library; San Diego Unified School District; San Diego County Department of Health and Human Services; San Diego Youth and Community Services; and Sweetwater Union School District.

Board of Directors

Lisa Kirazian
President
 
Ishita Saxena-Dayal
Vice President

Alisa Howry
Treasurer
 
Roy Sekigahama
Secretary

Directors
Luke Babbit
Lisa Balderston
Ahmed Kenyatta Dents
Susan Gembrowski
William B. Guthrie

Katie Keller
Pete Lancia
Grace Roche

Emeritus
David A. Carr (in memoriam)
Karen Ladner
Sheila Lipinsky
Ernie McCray
Craig Noel
(in memoriam)


Founder Deborah Salzer with Artistic Advisor Emeritus Edward Albee, 1985

"We have to begin the creative education of young people very, very young, far younger than most people think and that's why an organization such as this one is so terribly important."
~Edward Albee

 

Staff

Cecelia Kouma
Executive Director
Rachael VanWormer
Contest Coordinator

Aria Proctor
Office & Production Manager
Kandace Crystal
Youth Programs ManagerKristen Spittle
Administrative Assistant
Mikey Trotter
Program Coordinator



Consultants

Deborah Salzer
Founder
Dr. Alexander Chizhik
Evaluation Consultant

Teaching Artists

Aurrora Arnold
Aisleigh Bodie-Harvey

Kira Blaskovich
Chris Boyd
Tina Brown
Thelma de Castro
Tony Curtis
Shawn Foote
Cynthia Galaz Ochoa

Julia Giolzetti
Melissa Glasgow
Nicole Hernandez
Shawn Khalifa



Cecelia Kouma
Jenny Lane
Brian Mackey
Albert Park
Tony Perez
Moe Reynoso

Tori Rice
Markuz Rodriguez
Yvette Romero
Deborah Salzer
Emily Stamets
Rachael VanWormer
Carlos Vasquez

 

Bios

Edward Albee (1928-2016), Artistic Advisor Emeritus, was one of the greatest American playwrights. Among his 32 plays are The Zoo Story, A Delicate Balance and the groundbreaking Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, almost always in production somewhere in the world. His numerous awards include three Pulitzer Prizes, a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Kennedy Center Honors, and the National Medal of Arts.

Deborah Salzer, Founder, is a graduate of Oberlin College and the Bank Street College of Education. Before moving to California from New York, Ms. Salzer taught elementary school, trained teachers, and directed an inner-city arts program in Harlem. Ms. Salzer founded Playwrights Project in 1985. In addition to creating curriculum and training teaching artists for Playwrights Project, Ms. Salzer has produced the premieres of over 100 plays, along with the award-winning television production of Simply Maria, or the American Dream by Josefina López. Ms. Salzer is the author of Stage Write a curriculum unit which introduces playwriting to middle and high school students.

Cecelia Kouma, Executive Director, has a BFA in Theatre Arts, from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She was hired as Playwrights Project's Managing Director in 2000 and began serving as Executive Director, following the Founder's transition from leadership in 2007. Her work as an arts administrator includes 11 years as Associate Director of the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena. Ms. Kouma founded the organization's community programs, including Out of the Yard for justice involved adults and Telling Stories: Giving Voice to Foster Youth. She has taught theatre and playwriting to youth, adults and educators in San Diego and Los Angeles Counties and has presented at conferences on the topics of arts education and nonprofit management.