“Visiting Israel has been a lifelong dream of mine. I was raised without much formal religion, but my family was certainly Irish Catholic in a cultural sense; questions of morality, mortality, spirituality—and the history and politics of these questions—have always concerned and inspired me as a writer.”
Dan O’Brien
Playwright, Poet, Librettist

“I am currently working on a commission from Artists Repertory Theatre called REFUGEE RADIO about the current world-wide refugee crisis. I expect the trip will influence my thinking on this topic through understanding the history of Israel as a state for refugees and understanding the status of the Palestinians. I am also working on a play called PSYCHIC UTOPIA about “spiritual seekers” and those who have the desire to find larger universal truths. I imagine the history of the holy land has some true seeker stories. Overall I think the trip will give me the time and space to understand the spiritual side of the unique world of the holy land.”
Andrea Stolowitz
Playwright

“For the last year or so, I have been working on a movie script about Mary, the mother of Jesus. The script is currently scheduled to shoot early next year, and I know my upcoming trip to Israel will influence not only all upcoming drafts, but also my ability to contribute powerfully on the set. I’ve been developing a thriller set in Jerusalem for some years now, and fully expect my trip to add dimension and reality to this project. But — truth be told — I am most excited about the possibility of this trip inspiring entirely new projects, and taking my work, and my heart, in unexpected directions.”
Rod Barr
Screen / TV Writer, Novelist

Christina is an inaugural member of The Public Theater Emerging Writers Group. She is a former New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow, Ensemble Studio Theatre New Voices Fellow, Stella Adler Studios Harold Clurman Playwright-in-Residence, and Women’s Project Playwright Lab member. She is an Artistic Affiliate at American Blues Theater. She is published by Samuel French.  Among her plays are Fidelis, American Myth and Sorin: A Notre Dame Story.

JOHN PIELMEIER began his career with the play and movie Agnes of God. Since then he has had three more plays mounted on Broadway and over twenty-five film, television movies and miniseries produced. Most recently he has written and acted in the internationally successful limited series The Pillars of the Earth (named the 5th Best Miniseries of All Time!) and premiered his stage adaptation of The Exorcist in London’s West End prior to its New York opening in the 2018-19 season. He has also just published his first novel Hook’s Tale.

New York Times best-selling author Jim Krueger is a graduate of Marquette University, an award-winning filmmaker, story/script doctor, copy-writer, video game developer and comic book writer best known for his epic works and ability to adapt the mythologies/characters of DC, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse and other companies. He’s worked on everything from the X-Men to Batman and Superman to the Avengers, Star Wars, and the Justice League of America.

Krueger also launched two new comic book formats, both which were later utilized by DC and Marvel. He is a former Creative Director at Marvel Entertainment Group.

George Brant’s best known plays include GROUNDED, ELEPHANT’S GRAVEYARD, MARIE AND ROSETTA, INTO THE BREECHES!, THE MOURNERS’ BENCH, and SALVAGE.  George has been commissioned by Trinity Repertory Company to adapt Mike Stanton’s book, The Prince of Providence for the stage. GROUNDED has been commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera to be adapted into an opera with music by Tony-winner Jeanine Tesori. GROUNDED is also being developed into a feature film starring Anne Hathaway.

Angelo Pizzo is the award-winning screenwriter and producer of the beloved, inspirational sports dramas HOOSIERS; RUDY; and 2005’s THE GAME OF THEIR LIVES. In 2015 Pizzo made his debut as a director on MY ALL AMERICAN from a script he wrote. In addition to his feature film work, Pizzo served as associate producer on TV movies, “Father Figure”, “Amber Waves” and “Blinded By the Light.” He is currently developing a television series with Patty Heaton’s company for CBS along with working on a number of sports scripts.

Matt Schatz is a writer and a composer for stage and screen. His play THE BURDENS will receive its World Premiere at City Theatre in Pittsburgh in spring 2019 (with a subsequent National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere TBA). Two of Matt’s new musicals, AN UNTITLED NEW PLAY BY JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE (2017 O’Neill Finalist), and, WHERE EVER IT MAY BE BEST (EST/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Commission) were developed as part of SPARK 2018, Pittsburgh CLO’s inaugural festival of New Small Musicals.  Matt won the $100,000 Kleban Prize in Musical Theatre for LOVE TRAPEZOID in 2012.  Matt is currently working on a commission for an original grunge musical from Seattle Rep and BMG Music.  He is also developing a musical mystery series for Entertainment One/Free Association and he has been selected as one of six playwrights for The Geffen Playhouse’s Writers’ Room in Los Angeles.

Erika Dickerson-Despenza is a Blk feminist poet-playwright, cultural worker, educator and grassroots organizer from Chicago, Illinois. She’s the recipient of the 2019 Princess Grace Playwriting Award and was a 2018 Relentless Award Semifinalist. She’s the 2019-2020 Tow Playwright-in-Residence at Public Theater, a 2019 Writers’ Gathering Jerusalem Writer-in-Residence, a 2019 New York Stage and Film Fellow-in-Residence, a 2019 New Harmony Project Writer-in-Residence, a 2018-2019 Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow and was The Lark’s 2018 Van Lier New Voices Fellow. Erika is a 2019-2020 member of Ars Nova Play Group and a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre’s Obie-winning Youngblood collective. Her work has been developed at The Lark, Vineyard Arts Project, New York Stage and Film, Public Theater, Victory Gardens Theater, Fault Line Theatre and Jackalope Theatre.

Anne Nelson is an award-winning author and educator who has addressed issues of human rights and freedom of expression in a variety of media.  Her most recent books, Red Orchestra (2009) and Suzanne’s Children (2017), tell the true stories of anti-Nazi resistance movements in Berlin and Occupied Paris.   Suzanne’s Children was a finalist in the National Jewish Book Award. The two books have been published in a dozen different countries in various languages. Nelson’s play “The Guys” recounted her experience helping a New York fire captain write eulogies for the men he lost on September 11.  It has been produced in all fifty states and some fifteen countries, and as a feature film starring Sigourney Weaver.

Plays include: OPEN (NYTimes and TONY Critics Pick), GEEK, KING KIRBY, ANOTHER KIND OF LOVE, and CUT. She is the author of the play PULP VÉRITÉ (Director: Margot Bordelon) which was workshopped at the Playwrights Foundation last fall and just announced on the 2019 Kilroy’s List as Honorable Mention. Her play RAIN AND ZOE SAVE THE WORLD, winner of the 2018 EMOS Prize, was presented in an industry reading at MTC Studios this spring. Crystal is the musical theater book writer of MARY AND MAX (composer/lyricist: Bobby Cronin) which was awarded the 2018 MUT Award Critics Prize. MARY AND MAX recently premiered at Theatre Calgary, and has just announced its European premiere this fall at Landestheater Linz.