Cody is a photographer, designer, mixed media artist, and storyteller. 

Born and raised in South Texas, they found their way into journalism, where they started collecting storytelling skills like they were Pokémon cards. It didn’t take long for them to find a real love for photography and design, and that love grew, helping them build on other skills and branch into audio, video, and other art forms.

They soon found themself living in Washington, DC with their wife. Continuing to grow and cultivate their skills, they now work primarily with nonprofits focused on arts education and underrepresented communities. They have a strong passion for highlighting stories and people that can facilitate change in communities of all sizes. They also believe in creating a fun and comforting environment focused on making high-level art more accessible to everyone. You can learn more and see Cody’s work at codybahn.com.

Naiya Blanco is a working actress with over 5 years of experience in stage theater, musical theater, film, and a few stage crafting skills. While currently pursuing an Acting BFA degree at Howard University I have had the blessing of being a part of projects, internships , and other opportunities on and off campus. My work ethic consists of my coachability, working both independently and in a team environment, as well as unwavering passion and creativity.

My name is Micah Breyanna Bowser and I’m a BFA musical theater major and triple threat performer with a minor in media journalism and film at Howard University. I have always had a passion for the stage; it is where I thrive the most and where I feel most comfortable, creative and authentic. I am proud of my ability to be a lifelong learner, a visionary, and a curious artist who is deeply committed to my craft. As an artist I am passionate about storytelling and connecting with others through performance. I’m excited to continue growing as a theater artist while exploring new ways to use theater as a tool for creativity, connection and self-expression. My experience working with children has allowed me to combine my love through theater with my passion for helping young people grow. Through theater I have been able to encourage children to express themselves, build confidence, work collaboratively and discover their own creativity. I believe theater can give young people a space to feel seen, heard and empowered. I love being able to create that kind of environment for them as an artist and educator. I’m excited to continue using storytelling in theater to uplift Inspire and connect with not just young people, but people from all walks of life.

Kaitlyn “KD” Dorsey is a lover of spirituality and the power of artist activism through her practice of Stage, Production Management, and Executive Producing.  They currently serve as Production Intern at YPT, assisting in development of partnerships and arts administration work. With experience as a manager of arts and live entertainment, KD holds the passion to bring avocation and knowledge to the black and brown community on the technical and administrative side of the industry. With grace and gratitude, KD is an eager senior theatre technology major, theatre arts administration minor at Howard University and is excited to continue to grow within her field. 

Lei’anna Gladden is a lover of neo-soul, art, astrology, and culture, and a multidisciplinary artist-scholar and arts administrator whose work moves between performance, education, and cultural research. She currently serves as the Program Manager at YPT, managing program design and development and community engagement. With experience as a teaching artist and theater maker, she is committed to cultivating environments where young artists can take risks, experiment, and bring new narratives to life. Blending practice and scholarship, Lei’anna positions both the stage and the classroom as sites of inquiry, transformation, and futurity. She holds a BA in Theater Performance from Winthrop University and an MA in Pan African Studies from Syracuse University.

With more than ten years of experience in nonprofit development, Brenna Hill is a fierce advocate for the performing arts and how nonprofits can be a partner in dismantling white supremacy. She is drawn to YPT’s mission through her passionate commitment to social justice and to ensuring that young people are empowered to share their voices and create meaningful societal change.

Prior to joining YPT, Brenna worked in Development roles at The National Center for Children and Families, Ocean Conservancy, and The John. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Brenna holds an MFA in Dramaturgy and Script Development from Columbia University School of the Arts. She also has a BA in Drama Studies from SUNY Purchase, summa cum laude, and received the Drama Studies Award for Outstanding Student in her senior year. Originally from New York City, her theater background includes interning under Oskar Eustice at the Public Theater and working at the Ohio Theatre’s Ice Factory Festival. She now lives in Maryland with her partner and two young children and has deep connections with Queer and polyamorous communities in the DMV metro area.

Makayla Hill is a Junior BFA Acting major and playwriting minor from Baltimore, MD. She often spends her time both on stage and backstage, working in production, stage managing, and lighting/sound design. Outside of the theatre, you can find her skateboarding, writing scripts, drawing, watching period dramas, or humming a tune. She plans to work both on stage and on camera as an actress, director, playwright, and producer. 

Rodney has had the immense pleasure of working with young people as an arts educator for the last decade. He is a spoken word artist and MC with a love for expression that shines through in his work. He believes that words save people and puts this belief into each session he leads. He’s had the privilege of being awarded twice by the Commission of Arts and Humanities for his poetic and musical work in the city. He’s also shared his voice on stages such as The Apple Carnegie Library, Arena Stage, The Kennedy Center, DC9 NightClub, and various Busboys and Poets locations. A passionate worker with a love for language come see Rodney in action in a DC classroom near you! You may discover your own love for language in the process!

Farah Lawal Harris is a well-dressed poet, artistic leader, and breast cancer survivor who overcomes obstacles with grace, and inspires others to do the same. She is also a Kilroys’ List playwright whose work has been performed at Arena Stage, The Kennedy Center’s Theatre for Young Audiences, The University of Texas at Austin, Round House Theatre, and multiple festivals and universities along the East Coast.

Farah is an emeritus member of Theatre Washington’s Advisory Board and Helen Hayes Award Adjudication Committee. She also co-chaired the 2020 and 2022 DC Theatre Summits. She is a proud co-founder of the Washington, DC-based theatre companies, The Saartjie Project, and Wild Women Theatre, and a three-time individual artist grant recipient from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

She lives her life by the following “I Am” statement: “I am divinely connected to all there is, with the power to shift my energy to embody all that I am. I am love, power, resilience, compassion, beauty, intelligence, and vulnerability–ever-evolving with infinite possibility.” Farah gives infinite thanks to God, her family, ancestors, friends, and mentors who shaped her into the woman she is today. To learn more about Farah, visit www.farahlawalharris.com.

Alaysia Lawson (she/her) is a Senior BFA Acting Major, with a minor in classical voice from Washington, D.C. Her recent work includes the staged reading of ‘The Dilemma of a Ghost’ and ‘A Dream on Monkey Mountain’ at The Shakespeare Theatre. She also played Caroline in Big White Fog at Howard University in fall 2024 and additionally has a Classical/musical theater repertoire that includes pieces in English, French, German, and Italian. She is an alum of Duke Ellington School of the Arts and New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts’ MT program. She is extremely excited to perform and continue to tell stories.

Quinn Leak (they/them) is a DMV based, New Jersey born and raised multi-hyphenate theatre artist. Their training through the British American Dramatic Academy and Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts Acting Concentration has grounded them in a commitment to truthful storytelling that both serves and elevates their community while honing text analysis, breath control, and physical transformation skills. Recent credits include: As You Like It (PG Shakespeare in the Parks), Changes (The Tank NYC), and LE.G.A.CY Fashion Entertainment Showcase (Howard University Models Inc.). IG: quinnleak_

Keta Newborn is an ambitious, tenderhearted, and compassionate poet, self-published author, and mother of two daughters. Keta entered the world of theatre in 2006 after spending the previous 12 years as a computer engineer. Before joining YPT in October 2018, from 2006 until 2018, Keta focused primarily on becoming a household name within the arts industry as a freelance artist. Working throughout the DMV as well as New York, Boston, and Atlanta areas, Keta’s involvement within the theatrical world allowed her to hold many different titles on many different levels for over a decade.  Keta is recognized for being a detail-oriented person who is deeply committed to her work. Highly skilled at working with a diverse group of people to build effective creative solutions by using well-developed interpersonal communication skills, Keta would like to thank her Father above for the opportunity to be used as one of HIS vessels, working to bring HIS work of art into the hearts of many.

To learn more about Keta and her work, please visit www.newbornketa.com.

Yasmine Noland is an actress, creative, and storyteller from Prince George’s County, Maryland. She is a junior currently studying Acting at Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. Outside of performing, Yasmine enjoys traveling, giving back to her community, and staying connected to her Jamaican heritage. She has a strong passion for storytelling and arts education and hopes to one day create an arts school for young artists. Yasmine is excited to work with Young Playwrights’ Theater and experience the powerful work they do from the communications side.

Toni is a designer, electrician, and artist using light as her medium to tell stories and inform her experience as a Black woman in America. She is currently pursuing her BFA in Theatre Technology at Howard University. She has done lighting design for a number of productions at Howard University including but not limited to: For Colored Girls, Young Griots, and a Fine Fine Showcase. She has interned at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival as a production management intern and electrics intern. Toni has been passionate about giving back to the communities she is a part of since she was a child and has her own business named Threadz for Impact that uses clothing and fashion to empower women in unfortunate circumstances.

Jared is a DC-based playwright/director/actor. In 2014, he wrote and performed his first one man show, 12, featuring several solo pieces he created as a founding member of Brave Soul Collective. Jared is most proud of his work in HIV prevention, including his travels throughout the country using theater to educate students on the importance of sexual health and responsibility. He considers himself an “artivist,” combining his artistic sensibilities and his activist spirit.

Malaika Ssebayiteko is a junior acting major and journalism minor from Honolulu,Hawaii. From a young age she found a love and fascination for acting. During her time at Howard University, she has received training under Nikkole Salter, Eric Ruffin, Kim Bey, and Edwin Brown. Her expertise expands from acting to journalism. She is a writer for The Hilltop and the Newsletter Editor for the fine arts student council. Overall, she desires to inspire others through her storytelling and amplifying the voice of artists through journalism.

Matt is a writer, musician, and AMS Montessori-certified educator with a passion for empowering youth voices through artistic expression. Matt has worked in a variety of educational and administrative roles at schools and art centers in DC, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. He holds an M.Ed from Xavier University and BAs in English and Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh, where he also studied Jazz Performance with the late Geri Allen. Matt is also a regularly performing drummer and is highly invested in the DC-area performing arts scene.

Matt loves to cook, bike, and listen to the latest in hip-hop, jazz, punk, and folk. Matt is particularly passionate about performing arts as a venue for storytelling, improvisation, and activism, and is proud to advocate for YPT’s programs in his role as Development Manager.

Lauren Welmaker is a current student at Howard University, studying Theatre Arts, with a minor in Strategic Communications. Her creative interests are rooted in the idea that great marketing is just another form of theatrical storytelling. Originally from Fort Lauderdale, FL, she grew up dancing and acting.

For Lauren, the process of character building and understanding audiences is equally applicable to acting and marketing. She hopes to use her education to work in the entertainment industry while continuing to act.

London White is a Howard University sophomore from Atlanta, Georgia, majoring in Theater Arts Administration and minoring in Political Science. With a deep passion for all things arts and culture, London is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for artists and helping build a more inclusive and accessible arts community. Her interests span performance, arts administration, theatre production, and cultural advocacy, allowing her to approach the arts from both a creative and organizational perspective.

As a Development Intern with Young Playwrights Theater, London is excited to explore the intersection of fundraising, writing grants, community engagement, and storytelling while supporting the organization’s mission to empower young voices through playwriting. She has extensive experience in dance, theatre, stage management, acting, and singing and hopes to use this experience to strengthen her skills in arts leadership and development while learning more about the work that goes into sustaining impactful arts nonprofits.

London ultimately aspires to become a leader in the performing arts industry. She uses her experience at the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts and Young Playwrights Theatre to strengthen her skills.

Tristan B Willis is an administrator, playwright, performer, and game creator exploring queer stories, distanced performance, and the intersection of theatre and games. As a resident of Orchard Project’s Liveness Lab and CultureHub’s Writing for Electronic Formats, Tristan discussed and cultivated new ways of presenting theatrical work in digital and distanced spaces. They’ve continued that work with the Kennedy Center Local Theatre Residency, Lucille Lortel Theatre residency with support from Caridad Svich, and the Welcome to My Homepage residency.

Tristan is a member of 3D Playwrights (DC Disabled Dramatists) and co-created and coordinated the Theatre Washington Mentoring Program for six years. You can learn more about Tristan and their work at tristanbwillis.com.

Brigitte Winter has more than fifteen years of experience in nonprofit leadership, arts administration, financial management, fundraising, and strategic communications in the DC region. She is also a writer, a photographer, and a co-founder of Scryptid Games, a small press publishing story games for people who love books. The capacity of storytelling to connect, disrupt, inspire, and incite is central to Brigitte’s art and her activism.

Brigitte holds a BFA in Theatre from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), summa cum laude, a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University, and a Masters in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University, where she continued to work as an Adjunct Instructor through 2017.

She is the proud recipient of the 2022 EXCEL (Excellence in Executive Leadership) Award from the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, the 2013 Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award from the UMBC Alumni Association, the 2013 Outstanding Student Award from Georgetown University, and the 2012 Georgetown Social Impact Award for her commitment to creating positive social change as a communicator.