Kendra Levin - Alumna, 2000
“It’s almost impossible to do too much for your art, so be open minded
and willing to put yourself out there.”
The Inside Story
After graduating from high school, I rushed into a hasty decision and went to a college that turned out to be the wrong choice. Although my freshman year was difficult, I learned a lot, and at the end of the year, with a clearer idea of what I was looking for, I transferred to the Dramatic Writing Program at the Tisch School of the Arts of NYU. I received a lot of encouragement in my decision from Young Playwrights Inc. For the next three years, I focused on the craft of playwriting, because I found it the hardest of all writing genres and wanted to learn the most in that area. Senior year, my play Double Sophia was selected for the Mentor Project, a program at the Cherry Lane Theatre which pairs an emerging writer with an experienced mentor who helps the young writer shape the play, culminating in a full, three-week production at the Cherry Lane. This experience taught me a great deal, not only about writing but about revision and production. Making the transition from a writer alone at my desk to a writer collaborating with a director, producer, stage manager, actors, and designers was a terrifying, wonderful, and very educational experience. A few months after the Mentor Project, I graduated from NYU and tried to figure out what to do next. Since then, I have held a few different jobs, and presently, am employed at Scholastic. I am trying to lead a writer’s double life, which means running from work to evening rehearsals, writing on the weekends, volunteering to help out with readings, productions, and workshops, and continuing to see plays and films, read books, and staying in touch with and meeting people with whom I might collaborate sometime. It’s hectic, but I wouldn’t trade my life for anyone else’s in the whole world. I’m doing my work and having a blast. Current Status
Kendra works at Scholastic Inc. and continues to write.
Advice to Young Artists
One of the best pieces of advice Kendra offers any aspiring writer (and young artists of all disciplines) is to submit your work to contests and, if you can, to participate in activities with other young writers like yourself. The friends she made at camp, summer programs, and awards programs are now her colleagues in the arts. She recommends doing research to find summer programs and contests that are right for you and are in your region. Almost all liberal arts colleges offer summer programs, and there may be writing contests in your town, city, or state. The only problem with these programs is most of them cost money, although some of them offer scholarships. Don’t be shy about emailing or calling the administrators at the programs to ask about financial aid. Fortunately, it costs very little money to submit work to awards programs/contests, and they may offer college scholarships or money as prizes.
Recognition through The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
“It’s almost impossible to do too much for your art, so be open minded
and willing to put yourself out there.”
The Inside Story
After graduating from high school, I rushed into a hasty decision and went to a college that turned out to be the wrong choice. Although my freshman year was difficult, I learned a lot, and at the end of the year, with a clearer idea of what I was looking for, I transferred to the Dramatic Writing Program at the Tisch School of the Arts of NYU. I received a lot of encouragement in my decision from Young Playwrights Inc. For the next three years, I focused on the craft of playwriting, because I found it the hardest of all writing genres and wanted to learn the most in that area. Senior year, my play Double Sophia was selected for the Mentor Project, a program at the Cherry Lane Theatre which pairs an emerging writer with an experienced mentor who helps the young writer shape the play, culminating in a full, three-week production at the Cherry Lane. This experience taught me a great deal, not only about writing but about revision and production. Making the transition from a writer alone at my desk to a writer collaborating with a director, producer, stage manager, actors, and designers was a terrifying, wonderful, and very educational experience. A few months after the Mentor Project, I graduated from NYU and tried to figure out what to do next. Since then, I have held a few different jobs, and presently, am employed at Scholastic. I am trying to lead a writer’s double life, which means running from work to evening rehearsals, writing on the weekends, volunteering to help out with readings, productions, and workshops, and continuing to see plays and films, read books, and staying in touch with and meeting people with whom I might collaborate sometime. It’s hectic, but I wouldn’t trade my life for anyone else’s in the whole world. I’m doing my work and having a blast. Current Status
Kendra works at Scholastic Inc. and continues to write.
Advice to Young Artists
One of the best pieces of advice Kendra offers any aspiring writer (and young artists of all disciplines) is to submit your work to contests and, if you can, to participate in activities with other young writers like yourself. The friends she made at camp, summer programs, and awards programs are now her colleagues in the arts. She recommends doing research to find summer programs and contests that are right for you and are in your region. Almost all liberal arts colleges offer summer programs, and there may be writing contests in your town, city, or state. The only problem with these programs is most of them cost money, although some of them offer scholarships. Don’t be shy about emailing or calling the administrators at the programs to ask about financial aid. Fortunately, it costs very little money to submit work to awards programs/contests, and they may offer college scholarships or money as prizes.
Working on the school literary magazine, newspaper, or website might
not sound like fun, but it can help you develop great editorial skills
and meet other kids with similar interests, and could end up being a great
experience. Another good thing to do, especially if you have a particular
interest, is interning. Many creative organizations are under-funded and
would be more than eager for some free help, in exchange for teaching
you a lot and possibly writing you recommendations for the future. If
you’re interested in playwriting, ask a local theatre if they need
help with the box office. If you’re interested in journalism, try
a newspaper. Fiction, how about the library, or a local publisher? Kendra’s
internship with the Boston Playwrights Theatre helped prepare her for
her work in New York, and her college internship at Scholastic helped
her secure a fulltime job there after she graduated.
Award History
- 2004 John Golden Playwriting Prize, NYU
- 2004 Fellow, Cherry Lane Mentor Project
- 2000 Level 1 Award for Short Story from National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts’ Arts Recognition and Talent Search (ARTS)
- 2000 Finalist, Young Playwrights Inc. Conference
- 2000 Finalist, U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts
Recognition through The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
- Published Alex in You Are Here, This Is Now: The Best Young Writers and Artists in America, 2001
- Gold Awards, Writing Portfolio and Short Short Story, The Scholastic Writing Awards of 2000
- Pinnacle Award for Short Short Story Alex (which was featured in Literary Cavalcade), The Scholastic Writing Awards of 1999
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