Andrew Saito
Playwright of "Evolve!"
Handful Players 2008/2009 season

This lyrical play was inspired by Barack Obama's presidential nomination and election and is set in prehistoric times. In 2009, Andrew received a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate for the World Premiere of "Evolve!," which was performed by Handful Players at seven community events, including at San Francisco's Yoshi's Jazz Club and at the Mayor's Youth Showcase in San Francisco's City Hall.

Andrew is a poet and playwright who has studied and lived in Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru. He has worked with the San Francisco Mime Troupe, the Asian-American Theater Company, Writers Corps, Performing Arts Workshop, and the legendary Peruvian theatre collective, Yuyachkani. Andrew was a finalist for a Fulbright in creative writing and a Princess Grace Playwriting Award. He currently attends the University of Iowa's Playwrights Workshop, where he is the recipient of an Iowa Arts Fellowship. In the summer of 2009, he served as a Teaching Artist Fellow at Montalvo Arts Center, in San Jose, CA.