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Among the most-acclaimed and most-produced of Philadelphia playwrights, Jacqueline Goldfinger also demonstrates what a life in the theatre means nowadays: wearing many hats. She writes, dramaturgs, consults, and mentors the next generation of writers.

As a playwright, Jacqueline Goldfinger’s literary language derives from growing up in Tallahassee, FL. Many of her plays are set in the deep South and have an unmistakable Gothic strain. Her most well-known works, The Terrible Girls, The Oath, and Slip/Shot, comprise a trilogy of sorts where the Southern backdrop and the characters’ strange vocabulary transport the audience into a dream-like locale rather than any specific geographic place.

“I grew up in the South and write about legacy and tradition but in a way that doesn’t rely on convention. When writers present Southern themes, it tends to be about racism or hide-bound conservatism. But that’s everywhere. My South surprises; it is not what you expect.”

Jackie and her husband settled in Philadelphia after he completed a post-doc from UCal San Diego in 2008 and now call it home.

“Philadelphia is a northern city that reminds me of the South. The communities here feel comfortable; they are neighborhood based. It’s a beautiful patchwork of a place and truly racially diverse.”

But this writer of and from the South is thoroughly involved in the theatrical scene of Philly.

Jackie is the current Playwright-in-Residence at the acclaimed Azuka Theatre and was the Literary Manager for the Philadelphia Theatre Company for several years. Currently, Jackie is at work on two pieces: Fresh, a techno-mystery and a current finalist for the 2015 Terrence McNally Award For New Play In Progress; and The Arsonists, a father-daughter tale that takes place in a remote Florida swamp. The Arsonists is being developed with playwright Wendy MacLeod.

Perhaps most significantly, Jackie helps to develop young writers through her leadership at The Foundry, a support organization modeled after Playwrights Center in Minneapolis. The Foundry offers local emerging writers the opportunity to find their voice as well as facilitate relationships with directors and producers.

Established in 2012, with area writers Quinn Eli and Michael Hollinger, the Foundry will be graduating its first class of four individuals this year. One of those graduating students–Guild member and playwright Mark Costello – talked about the experience: “The Foundry identified me as an emerging writer; somebody who had talent but not a read-to-read body of work. The structure was like a three-year residency and they gave us workshops, advice from theatre professionals, and a vigorous mentoring process. I started and finished a number of one-acts and completed a full length, Truth or Consequences, which I’m ready to line up for production.”

Three of the Foundry graduates are going on to MFA programs at Yale, Temple University, and Indiana at Bloomington this fall.

Jackie’s newest full-length play, Trish Tinkler Gets Saved, will premier in Washington DC at the Women’s Voices Theater Festival in October 2015. Her website is http://jacqueline-goldfinger.squarespace.com and information on The Foundry is at https://philadelphiafoundry.wordpress.com.

ttirney@dramatistsguild.com

Jacqueline Goldfinger

Flashpoint Theatre’s 2012 production of Slip/Shot