This year, of the 40 plays selected for presentation as semi-finalists in the 2009 Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival, eight of the selected entries were submitted by Drama students and alumni: Driving Kitty written and directed by Suzanne Bachner (’97), American Royal by Gabe McKinley (’09), Barron, CA by Jessica Hinds (’10), the bus that got cut over its eye by Matthew Paul Olmos (’04), Generation Graffiti by Janine Nabers (’08), Metro Psalm by J. Julian Christopher (’05), realer than that written and directed by Kitt Lavoie (’01) (who also directed semi-finalist Sharon E. Cooper’s The Cooking King), and This is Jeopardy by Killian Beldy (’06).  Both Olmos and Lavoie advanced to the finals, with Lavoie’s play realer than that named one of the six winners of this year’s festival. His play will be published by Samuel French.  

Other participating alumni and students included: Olmos’ the bus that got cut over its eye directed by Eriko Ogawa (Directing ‘04), featuring Doug Darwin (Acting ’04), Joshua Peters (Acting ’04), and Rachel Valdati (Acting ‘04); Kathy Gail MacGowan (Directing ’09) directed H.R. by Eric Coble featuring Cheryl Games (Acting/Playwriting ’98), Dana Mazzenga (Acting ’09), and Patrick Williams (Acting ’09); Nabers’ Generation Grafitti directed by Diana Basmajian (Directing ’08) and Malinda Sorci (Directing ’08) featuring Adriana Munera-Checho (Acting ’08), Laura Gourdine (Acting ’08), Melissa Joyner (Acting ’08),Agmar Varela (Acting ’08), and Tai Verley (Acting ’08); Beldy’s This is Jeopardy directed by Amy Leland (Directing ’05) featuring Ibby Cizmar (Acting ‘06) and Chris Reber (Acting ‘06); Christopher’s Metro Psalm featuring Steve Campell (Acting ’05) and Nedra McClyde (Acting ’05); Hinds’Barron, CA directed by Elizabeth Carlson (Directing ’10), stage managed by Lucia Peters (Directing ’10), and featuring Lauren Boyd (Acting ’10), Chaelon Costello (Acting ’10), and Brooke Schlosser (Acting ’10); McKinley’s American Royal directed by Alexandra Hastings (Directing ’08) featuring Nate Faust (Acting ’09) and Betsy Sanders (’08); Christopher Stack (Acting ’01) appeared in Mom was a Carny by Andrew Podell; Bonna Tek (Acting ’03) appeared in Just Knots by Christina Gorman (which was also selected as a winner this year); and Jamie Richards (Directing Faculty) directed Up With (Some) People by Joshua Conkel, which was selected as a finalist.

In total, 39 members of The New School for Drama community participated as playwrights, directors, or actors.