Rajiv Joseph and Katori Hall Pair With New Playwrights for Cherry Lane Mentor Project

Cherry Lane Theatre's producing artistic director, Angelina Fiordellisi, has announced that three previous Mentored Playwrights from the early years of the theater's Mentor Project will return this year to act as mentors for three emerging writers. The new playwrights will have fully staged productions of their works presented by Cherry Lane from February 24-April 23.

Returning to the theater as mentors will be Rajiv Joseph (Guards at the Taj), Katori Hall (Saturday Night/Sunday Morning), and Sheila Callaghan (Women Laughing Alone With Salad). Joseph will mentor Christopher Gabriel Nunez, whose play The Surgeon and Her Daughters will kick off the 18th season of the Mentor Project from February 24-March 5. Callaghan will mentor Sarah Einspanier, whose play The Convent of Pleasure will be presented from March 23-April 2. Hall will mentor Antoinette Nwandu, whose play Pass Over will be performed from April 13-23.

Rajiv Joseph was mentored in 2005 by Theresa Rebeck, Katori Hall was mentored by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage in 2006, and Sheila Callaghan was mentored by Michael Weller in 2006. These nine playwrights — the new writers, their mentors, and their mentors’ mentors — will be on hand for a December 7 kickoff event at Cherry Lane Theatre.