2024 recipients
JOSLYN HOUSLEY
Joslyn Housley is an American writer and librettist. She is the author of the award-winning historical drama, The Silver Thread, and the story writer for the 2021 film Hal King, an r&b opera based on Shakespeare’s Henry 4 parts 1 & 2 . She has taught historical fiction writing for the publishing house midnight & indigo and is currently penning the book and lyrics for an original musical. The parent of two girls, Joslyn is also pursuing her MFA in Writing for the Screen + Stage at Northwestern University. Joslyn’s work has been recognized by: the Women Playwrights International Conference/Montreal; Landing Theatre’s New American Voices; the Bay Area Playwrights Festival; the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference; the Great Plains Theatre Conference; and the Hudson Valley Writers Center.
In Alabama 1845, three enslaved women, Anarcha, Betsey and Lucy arrive at the makeshift medical lab of J Marion Sims. Over the next four years, Sims performed unanesthetized, experimental surgery on their internal reproductive organs in search of a cure for vaginal fistula. The Silver Thread tells the story of this brutal moment in medical history and examines its legacy.
Shortly after my first small success as a playwright in New York, I got married. I was nearly forty years old at the time and had recently lost my left ovary to a malignant tumor, so my then-husband and I started a family right away. Soon, my husband’s emotional issues and alcohol abuse became so problematic that we moved to his native France. Unfortunately, he continued his downward spiral. I was isolated in a foreign country, filling the roles of housewife and breadwinner. I fought hard to find moments to write and managed to reignite interest in my work stateside. Eventually, it became clear the marriage was unsalvageable, and I needed to forge a new future for myself and my children. It was difficult convincing my husband to allow me to return to America with our daughters; I needed a solid plan and money to finance an overseas move. Northwestern University’s fully-funded Writing for the Screen and Stage MFA program provided the opportunity to rebuild my career and support my family. I graduate in June 2024 and I plan to relocate to New York or Los Angeles so that I may pursue work commensurate with my degree and develop new works for the theatre. My financial need as a single parent of two young children is a barrier to this goal. Receiving the ALP grant would help me navigate the transition from student to industry professional while doing my best to maintain a sense of stability for my children.
Myung Jin (MJ) Kang was awarded The Breathe Project 2022 New Play award and Theater J’s Expanding The Canon award (2022-24). She has been commissioned by Portland Playhouse, Shotgun Players, Blyth Festival Theater, Shakespeare in Action, and AFO Solo Shorts (twice). Her play, Pretender, was a finalist for the Miranda Project (sponsored by Lin-Manual Miranda) and Infinite Theater’s Write on Q. Her play, The Battle of Saratoga, was a semifinalist for the Bay Area Playwright’s Festival, The American Blues Theater’s Blue Ink Award, and Bay Street Theatre’ Wave New Works Festival. She has received numerous awards and fellowships for her writing, including Canada Council for the Arts (3x), Ontario Arts Council (4x), Toronto Arts Council (4x), Dora Mavor Moore (Toronto’s professional theater award) for Best New Play, The Barrow Group (3 years), Groundlings (4x), UCB (2x), Impro Theater (1 year), and Westside Comedy Theater. She has won 5 Moth story slams. Her personal storytelling was featured in the 50th Anniversary of the National Storytelling Festival, the Women’s Storytelling Festival, CBC, NPR, Facebook, USA Today, and PBS.
A full-length memory play
In the 1980s, two Korean families recovering from the after-effects of the Korean War meet and support each other in Toronto, Canada. They try to make a new life in a country that’s not welcoming—told via the youngest daughter’s memory. Friendship ties them together but can’t stop destructive forces and violence that permeate their world.
When I was twelve years old, the father of some of the children I babysat for was driving me home when he asked me, “What do you want to be when you get older?” I replied to him in a small voice that came from my heart, “A playwright.” It was the first time I had said this out loud. He looked at me and nodded his head. “That’s a noble profession,” was his response. I have wanted to be a playwright since I started attending plays as a child and reading plays after school and on weekends when I couldn’t afford live theater. Live theater has such an immediate impact on an audience. I want people to see my work, feel, think, and leave the theater, seeing life differently. I know it’s possible. I have been affected by theater in that same way. There have been many times in my life when I have wondered why I was doing this. Who will see my work? Does anyone care? I grew up with holes in my shoes and clothes. I am okay with not having much food to eat. I know money doesn’t bring about happiness. Money can bring some ease and less suffering. This award from ALP gives me a a thumbs up like my father gave me. This moment can carry me for decades.
Whether I intend to be or not, I am an example. My actions are watched (and sometimes mirrored), especially by Native communities and youth. This award would help me balance my individual artistic endeavors while enhancing my ability to be a resource for and amplify other voices. It would allow me to attend writing residencies and expand my network. It would provide the luxury of time to focus on my writing. By recognizing the artistic work of an individual, especially one devoted to community and social justice, we set an example that this work is of value.
Our past informs who we are today, and this grant will enable me to use mine to impact and empower our future.
MJ KANG
Lava Alapai
Lava Alapai is a multi-ethnic director, playwright, and photographer born in Okinawa, Japan, and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. After graduating with an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts in acting, Lava left Los Angeles, toured the country as a puppeteer, and landed in Portland, Oregon. She has been creating theatre in Portland for two decades. Her Directing credits include a stage to film of Wayfinding for Willamette University, School Girls, or; the African Mean Girls play for Portland Center Stage, Is God Is for Washington Ensemble Theatre, The Chinese Lady (film and stage) , The Revolutionists, and An Octoroon(co-direction) for Artists Repertory Theatre,Columbinus, Charlotte’s Web and Locomotion for Oregon Children’s Theatre. Lava has also enjoyed being behind the camera as director of photography and editor for Alex Getting Better, for Oregon Children Theatre, Salt for Shaking the Tree Theatre , the November Project for ManyHats Collaboration, and a multimedia pandemic project called Touch for Portland Center Stage.
Writing credits include: Middletown Mall, getting its world premiere at Third Rail Repertory Theatre in May 2024 (Eugene O’Neill NPC semi-finalist), The Event for Artists Repertory Theatre’s Mercury Festival, T.I.N.A for 48-hour Film Festival, redline for 24-hr Theatre Festival, and Mutt for ManyHats Collaboration. She is currently finishing her MFA in Creative Writing – Theatre at the University of British Columbia. She is a proud member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society (SDC) and Dramatists Guild.
In 1982, in the shadow of the impending Hurricane Iwa, five strangers are trapped inside a small convenience store in Hawaii, seeking refuge from the devastating storm. Store owners Ana and Nobu are joined by Greg and Samantha, whose ambiguous relationship teeters between dating and a possible engagement. When Vincent’s arrival seems happenstance shakes up the group dynamic.
As the hurricane rages outside, tensions and secrets begin to surface. The group must navigate not only the physical dangers of the storm but also the interpersonal dynamics that unfold in the cramped quarters.
Sunny’s Gifts and Things is a story of survival, connection, and resilience, revealing how adversity can bring out the best in people and how unexpected circumstances can lead to newfound strengths and relationships. As the storm clears, each character emerges changed, their lives indelibly marked by one fateful night in the eye of Hurricane Iwa
The ALP Grant would provide me with the space and resources to continue to pursue opportunities after I conclude my education. This grant will help me as I grow in my practice, honing my craft and deepening my voice as a storyteller.
2024 Finalists
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