Theatre AUM student Tiara Staples invited to national playwright conference

Tiara Staples, a communication theatre major, has been invited to attend the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center June 18-24.

During the conference, Staples will assist on a play by theater artist and director Miranda Haymon. Haymon’s project will be one of two plays in development at the conference, which is held every summer in Waterford, Connecticut. Only a select number of unproduced works are selected from a pool of more than 1,000 submissions to participate in the playwright-driven workshop.

Staples received an invite to the National Playwrights Conference based on her first place Stage Directors and Choreographers Society Directing Initiative award at the Region IV Kennedy Centers American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) in February. The KCACTF honor was given in recognition of her directing work in the 2023 Theatre AUM production of the play “The Language Archive” by Julia Cho.

Additionally, Staples received an invite to KCACTF’s national festival and a scholarship to participate in a five-day course at the Kennedy Center Directing Intensive July 15-19. The course brings together a cohort of about 20 young and early-career directors for master classes, hands-on activities, and discussions about the craft and the career of directing. The scholarship includes travel, lodging, and a per diem.

Staples is expected to complete her studies at AUM in Fall 2025.