cases imagination and theatricality. “Marcus Yi and Micro Shrimp
have all of that,” said Matthews.
“In both the play and musical
playwriting contests, originality
is a key factor but the primary
factor – and the main difference
between the NJPC and many
play contests – is that we are trying to help the authors/composers,” explained Matthews. “This
does not mean we aren’t looking for quality pieces, quite the
contrary. But we also are trying
to help move the writers to the
next step, those who we feel will
benefit from the experience and
exposure we can provide.”
Originally from Singapore, Marcus Yi moved here in 2005 to
pursue a B.A. in musical theater
performance and later moved to
New York to study law and is a
full-time immigration attorney. As
a writer, actor, and performer, he
has created work in Singapore,
Atlanta and New York and is the
artistic director of Living Room
Theater. Yi has worked on over
100 productions. He believes
that his work as a director helps
him become a better playwright.
“As a director you are always
concerned with what the audience sees,” said Yi. “Sometimes
playwrights that do not work in
the other aspects of theater tend
to write works that are extremely
difficult to realize on stage. I feel
that my work as a director has
definitely helped me become
a better playwright by understanding the limitations of live
performance, as well as molding
the pace of the piece.”
“We do quality work with a limited budget and very generous
support from William Paterson
University,” said Matthews. “And
for the fans, that taking a chance
on new plays and musicals is a
great experience and really does
help authors shape their work
going forward.”
New Jersey Stage
Next Article
Article Index
Events
100