DDA Studio 2 was established to support the process of undergraduate play writing and was led by a faculty advisor and student producers. Student writers worked with individual dramaturgs and developed their work through modest presentations, first readings, evenings of one-act plays and even full production. Studio 2 accepted original submissions on a year-round basis and encouraged any UNC student to submit their work for consideration. Featured plays and participating writers include LAGUNA by Jonathan Howle; THINK ORANGE by Lee Chaix Katz; CARRY THE KILLERAND HER UNCLE FLOYD by Johnny Knight; SUNGLASS by Travis Chamberlain; ANGLE THREE by Devin Kirk and new works by Jonathan Karpinos and Cory Graham.

In 2000 the Sam Selden Award in Playwriting was co-sponsored by The Department of Dramatic Art and Studio 2 to honor an undergraduate student at UNC for an original work. Past Selden jury members have included playwrights Bland Simpson and William Hardy, director Ellen Hemphill, as well as DDA faculty and students. From eight entries BEE STINGS AND BARBECUE by Annie Alvarez was selected by the 2000Selden Jury and received a reading of the play as well as a $300 award. The 2001 Selden Award of $500 and a reading of the play was again garnered by Ms. Alvarez for her play MASHED PEAS AND BROKEN DREAMS finishing first among a field of twenty-one entries. The 2001 Sam Selden Honorable Mention Award in Playwriting was shared by Bekah Brunstetter for AGE IN SPANISH and Ken Keech for SEDAKAVILLE with each receiving a $50 cash prize. The 2002 Sam Selden Prize was awarded to Bekah Brunstetter for EXIT PLATO.

The Spring of 2003 saw the Studio’s first Musical Production with Creighton Irons’ RAN TOGETHER which broke all attendance records with 857 people seeing the show. The Selden winner was Blake Bradford’s DANCE AT BATAAN, a play with both a foreign and historical perspective and a significant step away from a beginning playwright concentrating on personal history.

2003-2004 brought the full production of “Bataan” as well as a large production of Professor McKay Coble’s adaptation of THE SNOW QUEEN. The Selden Winners were OLD MAN’S SHOES by Joe Pugliese and Bekah Brunstetter’s TO NINEVEH.

2004-2005 opened with both of the Selden winners produced with the spring bringing Creighton Irons’ SOUL NOTES. The Selden winners for 2005 were TEOTIHUACAN by Justin Lockamy and THE LIFE OF MARY BERRY by Brian Smith.