Applause, Applause! Former Write Now! Participant Wins Two National Festivals

A winner of both this year’s Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Original Short Play Festival and the Young Playwrights National Playwriting Competition, Harley Adams credits his previous participation in Write Now!, MTC’s after-school playwriting program for much of his success.

In a recent conversation with MTC’s Education Department, the UCLA sophomore explained, “I’d never attempted to write anything until I came to the program.  And I sort of jumped right in and met students that loved the theatre and loved the language of the theatre as much as I did.”  He described the program as an open, experimental support structure and added, “That’s the best part about the Write Now! program. The kids…really wanted to be there because they loved writing.”

Adams appreciated how teachers Chris Ceraso and David Auburn created a safe environment to craft and share work. Adams explained that Ceraso and Auburn’s process emphasized student exploration rather than formulaic rules.

This nurturing environment is grounded in MTC’s mission; in many ways the class can be seen as a microcosm of the theatre’s overarching commitment to playwrights and artistic quality.

Young Playwrights’ Literary Manager Lucas Nath believes that it was Adams’ daring and keen sense of language that impressed the Selection Committee. “I think the thing that first struck us about Harley’s play was that it was funny. Comedies are hard to come by – that is, comedies that are truly funny. I think Harley’s work makes us laugh because it’s both honest and dangerous. The characters are direct.” 

Reading David Mamet’s Glengerry Glen Ross sparked Adams’ early fascination with language. Reflecting on the encounter, Adams explained, “…it was quite an experience.  It blew my mind, and I think I read it five times that one weekend just because I wanted to get it and I wanted to get the language in my blood…I really liked the fact that someone loved language this much that he could create his own sort of stylized language that really was a commentary on regular linguistics.”

The playwright admits that recent success has encouraged him to further develop his own style. “Mamet, Ionesco, and Albee, that’s always going to be my base and where I start.  When I was in Write Now!, I feel like I used them as a place to start.  Now I feel like I’m in a place where I’m not just going to copy them.” 

Adams also believes that contact with playwrights his age is invaluable.  This summer he attended a week-long writing seminar with fellow winners of the National Playwriting Competition.  Of that collegial experience, Adams explains, "Being in a room with 10 other writers my own age was great. The last time I had that experience was at Write Now!  It’s a whole ‘nother experience when you are working among your peers and doing it together.”