“One of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone.”

Bell Hooks, Yearning: Race, Gender, and Cultural Politics, 1999

“I really appreciate places and spaces like YPT, because who else is giving young Black people a microphone, a stage, and lights and saying ‘tell your story?’ It means so so much to have our voices affirmed in a world where they are actively trying to be silenced.”

Karma Price, YPT Playwright, 2025

Dear Friends of YPT,

For 30 years, Young Playwrights’ Theater has been a vital Washington, DC community member, uplifting youth voices, providing safe spaces for courageous expression, and empowering young artists to challenge oppressive systems through storytelling. Through our programs and productions, we have impacted the lives of more than 30,000 young artists across the DC region, and our professional stagings of youth-written plays have reached 100,000 DC area residents. Our alumni have bloomed into professional writers, performers, parents, professionals, and leaders in their communities with support and love from the thousands of donors who have cultivated YPT over the last three decades.

Though we have much to celebrate in our 30th year, this is also a moment of increasing financial instability, threats of censorship, and deep uncertainty about the future. Many of us are feeling untethered and unsure of what to do to make a difference within our communities. It’s difficult to know what action to take, and we end up feeling powerless and ineffectual.

But your time, your attention, and your dollars DO matter. Especially locally. And especially for small but impactful organizations like YPT.

By making a donation, volunteering, or coming to our performances, you are empowering young people like Ty’Ree Hope Davis, whose beautiful solo performance Riot: The Beat of Freddie Gray, shines a light on police brutality and provides an opportunity for community healing.

You are empowering more than 100 incarcerated and justice-involved youth at the Maya Angelou Academy, so that they can employ playwriting as a tool to process their complex emotions related to their incarceration.

You are empowering LGBTQ+ youth from across Washington, DC to explore and celebrate themes of personal identity and gender euphoria through creative writing and performance.

You are empowering 900 students across DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia to discover the joy of creative expression, enhance their writing and communication skills, and see their work performed in a celebration of their voices and vision.

By supporting these young people, you are meeting this moment of uncertainty with hope and resilience, and ensuring YPT can continue serving our community as we’ve done for the last 30 years.

Can we count on your support this year?

This year, in celebration of our 30th anniversary, please consider adding an extra $30 dollars to your annual gift, which will significantly increase the impact of your donation.

Whether you joined the YPT community three weeks ago or three decades ago, thank you for being here now. And thank you, as always for believing in the power of theater and the brilliance of young voices.

With gratitude,
Brigitte Winter
Executive Director

Add 30 for YPT!

By Young Playwrights' Theater

Add 30 for YPT!

Celebrating 30 Years and 30,000 Youth Voices

Team Members