Meet the Playwright - Stephanie Alison Walker!
Stephanie Alison Walker is the playwright of THE MADRES, now presented by Shrewd as part of her NNPN rolling world premiere.
A message from Stephanie I was five years old the first time I visited Argentina to see my dad who was living and working in Buenos Aires at the time. It was 1980, during the dictatorship, and the military men in the airport with their big guns was an image that frightened and stayed with me. I would return to Buenos Aires many times over the years with my dad and stepmom to visit my stepmom’s family, but it wasn’t until 1998 when I was living and working in Buenos Aires that I really became aware of the Mothers of the Disappeared. An American friend was doing a documentary on the Mothers and invited me to march with them one Thursday in the Plaza de Mayo where they have been marching since 1977. Seeing them march still years later, demanding justice for their disappeared children and grandchildren was incredibly powerful. When I returned to the States and would talk about the disappeared, I found that most people knew very little about this period in Argentina’s history and I knew I wanted to find a way to write about it. It wasn’t until 2015, and as a mother myself, that I found the courage to try.
About Stephanie Alison Walker
Stephanie is overjoyed to be collaborating with Shrewd Productions on the final stop of the NNPN Rolling World Premiere of THE MADRES. Her other plays include: THE ABUELAS, FRIENDS WITH GUNS, THE ART OF DISAPPEARING, AMERICAN HOME and more. Honors include: Blue Ink Award (winner,) Ashland New Plays Festival (winner,) BETC Generations Prize (winner,) O’Neill Playwrights Conference (two-time finalist,) CTG/Humanitas Prize (finalist,) Primus Prize (finalist), Saroyan/Paul Playwriting Prize for Human Rights (finalist) and more. Stephanie wrote THE MADRES as a love letter to Las Madres, the people of Argentina who are still seeking justice and everyone around the world who bravely stands up to tyranny. She dedicates this production to the strong women role models in her life- Mom, Silvia and Wilma. If not for the encouragement of her parents and husband Bob, she would never be a playwright today. Being Mom to Malcolm and Graham is the role she loves best. She is a proud member of the Playwrights Union and the Antaeus Playwrights Lab. For more info: stephaniealisonwalker.com.
