Meet the 2015-16 Core Apprentices

The Core Apprentice program, which pairs student playwrights with a mentor and offers a full play development workshop at the Center, welcomes 2015-16 apprentices Raquel Almazan (Columbia University), Abbey Fenbert (Boston University), and Sean-Patrick O’Brien (Bennington College).

RAQUEL ALMAZAN

Raquel Almazan is a working actor, writer, and director for theater/film/television productions. Her eclectic career as artist-activist spans original multimedia solo performances, playwriting, new work development, and dramaturgy. She is a practitioner of Butoh Dance and creator/teacher of arts programs for youth/adults. Her work has been featured in New York City (including Off-Broadway); throughout the United States; and internationally in Greece, Italy, Colombia, Guatemala, and Sweden, including several of her plays within her lifelong project: writing bilingual plays in dedication to each Latin American country (Latin is America play cycle). M.F.A. in Playwriting from Columbia University.

ABBEY FENBERT

Abbey Fenbert just completed her M.F.A. in playwriting at Boston University. Her original plays have been produced by the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre (@Play Festival of New Work), the Gallatin Arts Festival, the Boston Theatre Marathon, the Know Theatre, and the theater department of Indiana University. Her comedy Intentions won the 2013 KCACTF Mark Twain Prize. Additional works are slated for publication in anthologies by Smith & Kraus. Fenbert is a Dramatists Guild member, NYU alumna, and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Ukraine 2008-11).

SEAN-PATRICK O’BRIEN

Sean-Patrick O’Brien is a playwright, actor, and recent graduate of Bennington College, where he studied playwriting under Sherry Kramer. More recently Sean-Patrick has taken an ESPA playwriting class with Deborah Zoe Laufer at Primary Stages, where he’s also an Artistic Intern. His one act, In a State, was recently a recipient of Horizon Theatre’s New South Young Playwrights Contest & Festival. Hailing from the smallest state in the country, Sean-Patrick currently lives in Ridgewood, Queens.