Thursday, January 24, 2013

Prisoner of Anger

For the past few weeks there has been a guest sleeping on my living room floor. He was invited by my roommate who was being a good samaritan. Well as the saying goes: no good deed goes unpunished.

The guest has consumed almost all of my roommate's liquor, pills, vitamins. He leaves food out, doesn't put things in the dishwasher, smokes, and drinks himself into oblivion. When I come home every evening he is there at the kitchen table eating noxious smelling beef and pork concoctions. The house guest is fond of spouting theories that are half-backed, conspiratorial fear-based, bigoted, homophobic, misogynistic, anti-semitic. He was finally given the get-out date next week but then we moved it up a few days.

Tonight we were promised the house to ourselves. I looked forward to coming home for the first time in weeks. I imagined cooking in washed pots, clean counters, and being able to use the kitchen table. I had just finished the rough draft of a new play and I was feeling at ease. And when I open the door, there HE is. Sitting at the table with a cup of cheap rum and hoagie loaf overflowing with diarrhetic-looking sloppy joe meat with bacon splinters.

I made a b-line to my bedroom and was set on staying there the entire night. But I felt uncomfortable not confronting the issue: why has this situation appeared in my life at this point in time?

I went back outside and sat on the couch. His glazed-over eyes looked at me as he asked me about my day. I avoided eye contact as I could feel the anger settling somewhere squarely between my eyebrows. Finally after struggling mightily, my eyes were able to meet his with the question: what are you doing here and when are you leaving?

The houseguest began retelling the story of how his wife kicked him out of the house and filed a restraining order against him.  I've heard this several times and each time the vows of revenge get stronger. I expressed my discomfort with his revenge obsession and he informed me that he had been deeply wronged. I listened and didn't interrupt him despite knowing almost all the details. I recalled Hafiz's famous poem...

"Fear is the smallest room in the house
And I wish to see you living in better conditions."

And I realized that I have been living in fear of this man who I saw as the epitome of toxic hate. The fear wasn't obvious but it showed itself enough on all the nights I delayed going home. My eyes couldn't even meet his when we first spoke. All I saw was hate, meat, alcohol, revenge.

We spoke. As the conversation continued I found I could hold my gaze on him as a brother. He felt wronged. I understood. He wanted revenge and I have been there. I recommended Thicht Nhat Hanh's 'Anger' since this was a book that changed my life years ago. He seemed skeptical. He didn't need to transform his anger, he said. He could use it and be smart so he wouldn't end up in prison.

"But you're already a prisoner," I said.

Through the dimly-cracked eyes he looked at me.

"You've made yourself a prisoner of anger," I said, speaking as much to myself as to him.

He seemed to get quiet and a flash of recognition crossed his face. He admitted it. Why do that, why chain yourself to this?

The houseguest launched into the family excuse: it was in his blood. It was in his people's blood. They needed revenge. His DNA was different. He couldn't be like the Tibetans, or the Blacks during the civil rights movement, the South Africans during apartheid, the Jews after the Holocaust, or the Indians against the British.

I suggested that DNA wasn't stone tablets of fate but merely antennae that pick up signals. But it's my choice to turn the channel.  He seemed taken aback. No, he must have revenge. Finally I spoke to that mythical tragic emotion. If you want to talk about revenge, the best revenge isn't served hot or cold. It isn't served at all. The best revenge is to live your life. Someone tries to destroy you, the best revenge isn't to destroy them but to thrive.

Imagine transformation. Better wife, house, car, and you suddenly realize that you haven't even thought about her. Now that is revenge because it isn't even revenge. It's quantum-revenge where you take it to the next level: it transforms you into a parallel universe of options.

I was just as shocked as he was that this was coming out of my mouth. I've never thought about this before. He tapped my foot.

"That's the best thing I've heard in weeks." I concur. Thank you to whomever thought it and poured it into my head. Tonight I walked in a prisoner and left a free man. And maybe my houseguest did as well.




Saturday, January 5, 2013

GET WHAT YOU WANT: January 2013


CONTESTS/GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS

1.
Woodward/Newman Drama Award

Deadline: March 1st (postmarked) and received no later than March 10th

The BPP has begun accepting submissions for the 2013-14 Woodward/Newman Drama Award. Submissions are due by March 10th. The top 10 finalists will be announced at the end of May with the winner announced in June 2013.

The Woodward/Newman Drama Award is an exclusive honor offered by Bloomington Playwrights Project, sponsored by the Newman's Own Foundation, remembering the many great dramas Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman performed in together. It presents the best unpublished full-length drama of the year with a prize of $3,000, a full production as part of the BPP's 2013-14 Mainstage season and travel expenses up to $300.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION
(subject to change):

-Plays submitted must be unpublished at the time of submission.
- Each submission must include a synopsis (1 page or less) including the cast size. A separate page should include a brief bio of the playwright, and production/development history if applicable.
-Agent submissions require no fee.
-The fee will be waived for Dramatist Guild members with an enclosed photocopy of a membership card.
-It is preferable for musicals to include a demo CD. The complete score is not necessary but may be included. All plays are read by BPP's literary personnel led by and including the Literary Manager and Artistic Director.
-We do not accept email submissions. Scripts will not be returned.
-The BPP reserves the right not to name a winner and/or name a winner but not commit to a reading or production. These instances are rare but can and do occur.

Send to:
Woodward/Newman Drama Award
Bloomington Playwrights Project
107 W. 9th Street
Bloomington, IN 47404

2.
Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Residency

Deadline: Jan. 18th

A residency that keeps a low profile, Helene Wurlitzer has been providing a haven for playwrights, poets, painters, and various artists for other 50 years. Located in Taos, New Mexico this foundation offers 3 months of rent-free and fully-furnized casitas are provided to a select group of artist to pursue their dreams.

Please go to the website to fill out form and apply.
HTTP://WWW.WURLITZERFOUNDATION.ORG/


3.
McKnight Advancement Grant (mid-career writers)
Deadline: January 10th


Application due: January 10, 2013
McKnight Advancement Grants
The McKnight Advancement Grants recognize playwrights whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit and excellence in the field, and whose primary residence is in the state of Minnesota. Two grants of $25,000 each will be awarded in the 2013-14 season, funded by the Minneapolis-based McKnight Foundation as part of its Arts Program. The grants are intended to significantly advance recipients' playwriting development and their careers. Additional funds of $2,000 can be used to support a play development workshop and other professional expenses.

Past recipients include: David Adjmi, Carlyle Brown, Lisa D'Amour, Barbara Field, Keli Garrett, Jeffrey Hatcher, Melanie Marnich, Greg Moss, Kira Obolensky, and Dominic Orlando.

Selection Process
Applications are screened for eligibility by the Playwrights' Center and evaluated by an initial select panel of professional theater artists; finalists are then evaluated by a second panel of national theater artists. Selection is based on artistic excellence and professional achievement, and is guided by the Playwrights' Center's mission statement. Playwrights' Center staff do not participate in selection decisions.

4.
Theater for the New City Scratch Night
Deadline: rolling


Crystal Field and Theater for the New City (TNC) will present a varied schedule "Scratch Night” performance program, which offers the opportunity for artists to present work in progress to an audience for one night. Scratch Night started in the United Kingdom in 2000 as a way to show work in progress in an evolution of performances. At TNC, we will put our own spin on the idea to best serve our own theatre community and New York area audiences.

Scratch Night is looking for a variety of the most daring artists to try out their most cool thoughts on stage and the audience will help in the development by way of TNC’s scratch ballot. Scratch Nights will take place throughout the year on a varied schedule. All theatrical forms are welcome. All stages of development are welcome.

Original theatre, puppetry, performance art, music, dance, and mixed media collaborations. No set running time.

Please forward all materials to Michael Scott-Price, literary@theaterforthenewcity.net

Must include the following:
Biography with contact information of the artist’s name, address, telephone number and email address
Synopsis of the work
Sample or concept of the work, no more than 10 pages
Biographies of collaborators, if available
Description of stage set (if any) and production needs (i.e. sound and lighting)
 
 
5.
Artemisia Theatre
Deadline: April 1st


Artemisia, A Chicago Theatre, is accepting plays for its 2013 Fall Festival of Staged Readings. All plays submitted must be full length and fit within Artemisia's mission. They must be about women, have a minimum of one female leading character and must challenge the audience's perception of women. Visit artemisiatheatre.org and view the line up of plays selected for our 2012 Fall Festival of Staged Readings for further guidelines. Please send all submissions electronically as a single file pdf attachment (no other format will be accepted) to Artistic Director Julie Proudfoot atartemisiatheatre@gmail.com. Submissions must be received by midnight April 1, 2013 to be considered for our 2013 Fall Festival.

6.
Ronald M. Ruble New Play Festival
Deadline: February 1st


Scripts received after that date will be considered the following year. 5-6 finalists will be selected on March 15 of that year and their names will be posted to the CCCT website at that time.

Must be a full-length play/musical for children or young adults without a prior major U.S. production. A brief synopsis must be sent together with a bound complete manuscript. Submission must include a contact phone number and e-mail address on the play’s title page. No electronic submissions will be accepted.

The play must be at least 1 hour and no longer than 120 minutes.
The play must be appropriate for audiences of all ages.

Dramas, comedies and farces (with or without music) are all welcome.
Cast size limited to no less than 5 or more than 32.
The plays selected will be acted by our student actors with a mix of regional artists where necessary. Plays that can be effectively cast within our market will be considered favorably.
Playwrights who are questioning whether or not their play is a good match for CCCT are strongly encouraged to contact Artistic Director Brian Marshall at mbrian@bgsu.edu before submitting.

All plays that are not selected for the festival will be recycled. Please do not include return postage.

All serious submissions will be read by at least three readers on the festival committee as well as the members of the Teen Board. Be advised that the following are not considered serious submissions:

Screenplays submitted as theatrical plays and Obvious first drafts
Plays with typos and spelling errors and Plays not formatted to industry standards
Plays with excessive profanity or violence or are inappropriate for child audience members
For more information contact:
Brian Marshall, Artistic Director
mbrian@bgsu.edu, 419.372.0642

Plays should be submitted to:
Caryl Crane Children's Theatre
c/o CCCT New Play Festival
BGSU Firelands
One University Drive
Huron, OH 44839-9719


7.
East Valley Children’s Theatre
Deadline: March 15th

East Valley Children’s Theatre is searching for aspiring playwrights to become a part of the theatre’s future seasons of performances. Contest rules and prizes are listed below.

• All Plays must be submitted to EVCT no later than March 15, 2013. Must include a cover sheet with name, address, phone number, email address.)

• Plays must be suitable for children to perform for children. (Small casts are not as likely to be chosen for performance.)

• Plays must be one hour to one hour and a half in length. (Shorter plays may be submitted but they will not be considered for production by the theatre as one of its season’s productions.)

• Plays and Musicals must not have been previously performed.  They must be original and unpublished.

• Musicals must include a copy of the music in some form, either manuscript or recorded.
• Cash prizes will be given for the first, second and third place entries.

• The first place entry will not only receive a cash prize but also will be produced by East Valley Children’s Theatre in its upcoming season, if it meets all the criteria for performance.
Send entries to:
East Valley Children’s Theatre
P.O. Box 20514
Mesa, AZ 85277-0514
Or email them to: Karen@evct.org
For more information or questions call EVCT at 480-756-3828.

Send entries to:
East Valley Children’s Theatre
P.O. Box 20514
Mesa, AZ 85277-0514
Or email them to: Karen@evct.org
For more information or questions call EVCT at 480-756-3828.

8.
Harriet Lake Festival (Orlando Shakespeare Festival)
Deadline: March 15th


The Harriett Lake Festival of New Plays (Fall, 2013) is seeking new full-length plays or musicals that speak to contemporary world and social change. We will select seven new works to be presented as readings. One or more may go on to be developed in a workshop or full production. Playwrights will receive a stipend, travel and housing expenses. Some plays may go on to be fully produced as part of a subsequent Orlando Shakespeare Theater season, or produced at the University of Central Florida as part of our partnership with UCF.


Submissions must include:

• Cover letter
• Bio/résumé
• A one-page synopsis
• Ten pages of dialogue from the play
• A character breakdown (with potential doubling)
• Your mailing address, email address and direct phone number on the cover letter
• Musicals should include all of the above and the most recent Demo CD of the show
• Please do not send full scripts until requested to do so.

Mail submissions via regular mail to:

Mark Routhier, Assoc. Director of New Play Development PlayFest -
The Harriett Lake Festival of New Plays Orlando Shakespeare Theater
812 East Rollins St. Suite 100
Orlando, FL 32803

Email submissions will not be accepted.


9.
ATHE Playwrights Program
Deadline: Jan. 30th


ATHE's Playwrights and Creative Teams Program (PACT) seeks new, previously unproduced short plays for its 23rd annual New Play Development Workshop at the ATHE Conference, in Orlando, Fl August 1-4, 2013. We invite playwrights to submit plays ranging in length from 4-10 minutes (scripts over 10 minutes will not be accepted); there is no restriction on subject matter, style, or intended audience. A jury of readers will select six to eight scripts. Each playwright will be assigned a director, dramaturg, scenographer, and a group of actors; these creative teams collaborate on the scripts throughout the conference in a developmental process (participants may attend the rest of the conference). The workshop culminates in a public, script-in-hand reading of the plays in a SHOWCASE OF SCRIPTS.

The New Play Development Workshop affords playwrights the opportunity to work on their scripts with artists experienced with original material from all over the country and to have their work presented at a major academic theatre conference. In past years, plays which have gone through this process have been published in a PACT Program anthology. These plays achieve a high rate of success in securing subsequent productions and publication.

PLEASE NOTE NEW SUBMISSION POLICY: Electronic script submissions should be emailed to: charlene@charleneadonaghy.com. Please remove name, mailing address and telephone/fax/e-mail from the script, and include that in a cover letter which indicates your willingness to attend ALL sessions of the workshop. Only one submission per playwright will be accepted. Scripts will not be returned. You will be notified, via email, of the reader's selection no later than April 1, 2012. To be considered for the NPDW, scripts must be RECEIVED by January 30, 2012; late entries will not be read. Scripts should be sent to:

Charlene Donaghy
charlene@charleneadonaghy.com

For additional information, contact Charlene Donaghy at (860) 307-2477, charlene@charleneadonaghy.com or Judith Royer at (310) 670-0362, jroyer@earthlink.net.


10.
Dora Maar Fellowship (MFAH)
Deadline: February 15th


Want to get away? How about 1-3 months in France to write and study whatever you want? Dora Maar Fellowship is an excellent opportunity for all artists and the application is online. The Dora Maar Fellowship is set in Menerbes, France in a house bustling with arts and thinkers. The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston (MFAH) sponsors the Dora Maar fellowship and pays for round-trip ticket to France as well as a $50/day stipend for food. Additionally there you have your own bedroom, bathroom, and share a communal kitchen.  

The Brown Foundation Fellows Program at the Dora Maar House is made possible through a grant from the Brown Foundation, Inc., in Houston. The program has been directed by the MFAH since 2006.

The MFAH wants you to enjoy the opportunities this remarkable residence affords, and to use your time well. Fellows are encouraged to offer suggestions on how the museum can improve the fellowship program in the future.

As a Dora Maar fellow, you are expected to be friendly toward the citizens of Ménerbes and to make one public presentation to them. Each fellow is required to donate to Dora Maar House one drawing, publication, or other work created during the residency. The MFAH asks that you recognize The Brown Foundation Fellows Program at the Dora Maar House in the acknowledgments of any publication resulting from your fellowship.

Each application* must include:
• C.V. (no more than 3 pages)
• Project description (no more than 1 page)
• Community participation description (no more than 1 page)
• 2 professional references
• Samples of your work:
¤ For writers: 2 samples, no more than 20 pages
¤ For visual artists: 10 digital images, or 10 minutes of time-based media
• Scan of your valid passport (non-EU candidates); a photocopy of your ID papers (French or EU candidates)
• Proof of any necessary visas, where applicable
• $10 application fee

To apply online please visit: http://www.mfah.org/fellowships/doramaarhouse/dora-maar-how-to-apply/


11.
Leah Ryan's Fund for Emerging Women Writers
Deadline: Jan. 14th


All women who consider themselves emerging playwrights (as distinct from fledgling or mid-career playwrights) are eligible to apply for the FEWW Prize. Playwrights from all over the world are encouraged to apply, but the play must be written in English. Eligibility does not require that a submitted work adhere to the traditional three-act structure. One-acts, two-acts (even four-, five-, six- acts), monologues, adaptations, and any other wild or deceptively tame format will be considered with equal seriousness. The only absolute requirement is that the submitted text be a completed full-length work for theater.

The Winner will be chosen by a committee selected by the board members of Leah Ryan's FEWW, and will be presented her award as part of the 2013 Lily Awards, which honors the work of women in American theater.

The Winner will also receive a cash award of $1,000 as well as a staged reading of her play hosted by FEWW at a theater in New York City. In addition, a stipend of up to $700 for travel and accommodation may be provided by FEWW if necessary.

We will begin accepting applications for this year’s prize on November 1, 2012.
The deadline for submissions is 5pm EST on January 14, 2013.
Applications must include the following:
-Ten pages excerpted from a fully-developed, completed script. Please note: finalists will be required to submit the complete script to the FEWW;
-A cover letter of no more than 300 words describing yourself and your work. Be sure the letter includes your contact information including mailing address, daytime telephone number, and email address;
- Your resume or a bio;
-One letter of recommendation/support from someone who knows you and your work well.
-Finalists will be contacted by April 1st and will have one week within which to to submit their full play.
TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THE 2013 PRIZE, CLICK HERE.


12.
Interrobang Theatre Project


Interrobang ccepts non-solicited, electronic play submissions (no hard copies at this time). Please submit the following:

  • A cover letter (or e-mail), introducing you and your play
  • A brief synopsis of the play (no longer than one page)
  • A selection from the play

Your selection from the play should demonstrate its strengths and must not exceed 20 pages. It should be sent to Artistic Director, Jeffry Stanton, at  jeffry@interrobangtheatreproject.org.

Should we require more information regarding the submitted material, you will be contacted.

All materials will be processed within 6-8 weeks. Please: no follow-up phone calls or e-mails.


13.
MINNESOTA SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL
Deadline: April 15th


Because of a huge number of submissions last year, we are tweaking the format for the festival. In 2013, Thursday night will be reserved to show the top 8 short plays written by Minnesota playwrights. Friday night will feature the top 8 plays from all other writers across the country. That way, our festival has the best of both worlds.

Minnesota writers may still submit TWO entries to the festival. Out-of-state writers can submit ONE entry. Submissions open Jan. 1 so get your keyboards warmed up.

If you have any questions, call our coordinator, Greg, at 507-420-1881 or just send an e-mail to mnshorts@yahoo.com.

THE DETAILS
Minnesota writers: Each Minnesota writer can submit TWO entries. Submissions will be open from Jan. 1-April 15, 2013.

Writers NOT from Minnesota: Each playwright can submit ONE entry. Submissions from outside Minnesota will only be taken from Jan. 1- March 1, 2013.

For ALL writers:
Scripts must be 12 pages or less. (not including title page)
Scripts must be sent in .pdf or .doc format. Please do NOT use .docx
Keep all identifying information and contact information on the TITLE page. (The scripts are read blind, so no identification should be shown other than the title page.)
Include your Name, Postal Address, E-mail address and Phone on your title page.
E-mail your scripts to mnshorts@yahoo.com

HINTS:
The plays will be performed in a community theatre -- scripts with nudity or scripts filled with "f-bombs" are not likely to get in.
Plays with cast sizes larger than six are less likely to be produced unless you are willing to produce the show and find the actors yourself.
Plays with scene changes and elaborate sets and lights are also less likely to be produced. Remember that SIMPLE is BEST.
The top 6 plays from Minnesota and the top 6 plays from out of state will each receive a $100 stipend. Sometimes the stipend may be used to get a director and cast to produce your play. If you produce your own, the $100 stipend is yours. The 7th and 8th place plays will receive a $50 stipend. Each night, the audience picks a Best of the Festival winner, who will get an extra $100.

REMEMBER
You will be responsible for finding a director who can cast and perform the play. If you are from out of state, just contact Greg at MN Shorts if your play is chosen and you need a director. Last year, we were able to find a Minnesota director for 13 of 14 out-of-state plays. But it does mean that you would turn over your $100 stipend to the director and cast.

JUDGING
If we have more than 200 submissions from out of state, there will be TWO judging rounds -- one round to get the submissions narrowed to 100 semi-finalists and the next round to get the top 10. (Ninth and Tenth place will be offered a chance to be on standby in case one of the top 8 plays cannot line up a director.)


14.
Short Plays for Poetic Theatre Production
Deadline: January 7th


Poetic Theater Productions and Project Agent Orange are looking for writers to collaborate on a new poetic theater movement piece for a reading in Poetic Theater Productions' second annual festival of new poetic theater, Poetic License, January 21-27, 2013 at Wild Project located in the East Village in NYC.  Particularly looking for writers who identify as one of the following: Vietnamese, Asian diaspora, veterans of the Vietnam War or their descendants.

Please send a short 3-12 minute script written as a monologue, dialogue, ensemble told story, a poem, or narrative aligned with the description of the show below to submit@poetictheater.com by 3PM on Monday, January 7th.

Poetic Theater Productions seeks to define the modern genre of “poetic theater” by connecting and fostering a community of artists who are passionately creating relevant and accessible work and reinvigorating a conscious theater of language.  Through a multi-runged platform of developmental programming, Poetic Theater Productions offers resources and opportunities for poets, playwrights, and theater artists to develop new work and see it through to production. PTP seeks out and creates opportunities to connect with communities affected by the issues of topic within our productions, in NYC and nationwide, through collaborative projects and exchanges of art and ideas.  Poetic License is Poetic Theater Productions' festival of new poetic theater.  The festival will run Jan 21-27th 2013 at the Wild Project in New York, NY. www.poetictheater.com

Questions? Email info@poetictheater.com.

We look forward to reading your submissions!

15.
SWAN DAY (Celebrating Female Artists)
Deadline: Jan. 30th


On Saturday, March 30, 2013, the east side’s Ensemble Theatre and the west side’s Convergence Continuum will host Northeast Ohio’s contribution to the sixth annual SWAN Day, an international celebration of women in the arts.  Here in the 4th-largest theater-producing area in the USA, SWAN Day CLE – 2013 will be staging readings of short plays to raise awareness and to celebrate women playwrights, directors, and actors.
If you’re interested in participating, meet ALL of these criteria:
1.You’re a woman
2.You’ve written a 6-10 page play* that speaks to women’s experience or history or both
3.Your play calls for 2-5 actors (double-casting for more roles is fine)
4.Your play calls for more than 50% female actors (2:1 or 3:2 women:men, or all female)
5.Your play is new or slightly used – no more than one previous public reading or workshop or production
6.You save your play in standard format* as a PDF file that includes numbered pages; a separate page with character list, settings, time period, production notes; a separate title page; 12-pt type; at-least-1-inch margins
7.You put your PDF standard-formatted play*, contact info, and a
100-word bio into an email
8.The subject line of your email is Your Name - Title of Your Play - Your City, State
9.You send that email to SwanDay2020@yahoo.com.au

NOTE: You don’t have to be from the Cleveland, Ohio area to submit, but Cleveland-area playwrights will be given greater consideration than those from outside the area.  Submissions will be capped at 100 Cleveland-based entries, or Cleveland-based entries plus however many non-local entries total 100, as of midnight EST 1/30/13.  The number of plays chosen depends on their relative lengths and how they fit into a 90-minute staged reading.  Submitting does NOT guarantee that your play will be chosen.

All participating artists will receive a $50-minimum stipend, because we believe in supporting women artists now.



JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS

1.
RED SHIRT ENTERTAINMENT: INTERNSHIP
Deadline: Jan. 30th

Three Jewels, New York City in partnership with Redshirt Entertainment is seeking talented individuals based in Manhattan or Brooklyn to serve as interns to help market and produce our 2013 workshops and events.  As a Three Jewels Residency intern you will gain hands-on experience related to marketing, promotion, and event production. Responsibilities include stage management, event marketing, street team marketing, social media and website development. Candidates should be self-motivated, posses an entrepreneurial spirit, excellent organizational, communication and problem solving skills, and Microsoft Office word and excel, design and web skills. Intern schedules are schedule Monday – Saturday, part-time (maximum of three days 5 hours per day).  This is a three to six month commitment and an excellent opportunity to learn and grow in a creative environment. Please send your resume, a short introduction of yourself, to threejewels.nyc@gmail.com

2.
Assistant/Associate Professor of Film and Media (Northeastern University in Boston)
Deadline: Jan. 31st


The Program in Media and Screen Studies and the Department of Art Design in the College of Arts, Media and Design at Northeastern University invite applications and nominations for a joint appointment as an Assistant, Associate or Full Professor in emergent media, beginning in the fall, 2013.

The scholarship and creative research expertise of the successful candidate will explore the relationships between technology, media, and art, with specialization in one or more of the following areas: film theory, digital media theory, media archaeology, media activism, and emergent media practices. We are particularly interested in candidates who merge theory and practice, whether filmmaking or digital media.

Please see the following websites for the Department of Art Design and the Program in Media and Screen Studies:
http://www.northeastern.edu/camd/artdesign
http://www.northeastern.edu/mscr/
The College of Arts, Media and Design is comprised of Architecture, Music, Theatre, Art Design, Communication, Journalism, and Media and Screen Studies.

Qualifications:
All candidates must possess a Ph.D., MFA, or equivalent terminal degree in Art, Media, Film Studies or closely related fields.

Additional Information:
Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, a writing sample, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and the names and contact information for 3 references. All applications are online. To apply, visit the College website, http://www.northeastern.edu/camd/;click on "About", then "Careers" to take you to Faculty Positions.

If viewing this position through a Northeastern website, simple click on "Apply to this position" above.

Full consideration will be given to applications received by January 31, 2013.
To be considered for this position please visit our web site and apply on line at the following link: Careers@Northeastern

3.
Assistant Professor of Theatre (Stony Brooks, NY)
Deadline: Rolling but decision will probably be made some time in spring (position begins in the fall of 2013)


Stony Brook University, home to many highly ranked graduate research programs, is located 60 miles from New York City on Long Island's scenic North Shore. Our 1,100-acre campus is home to 24,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and more than 13,500 faculty and staff. The University is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and co-manager of nearby Brookhaven National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research laboratory supporting world class scientific programs utilizing state-of-the-art facilities.

Reference Number: F-7630-12-12

Department: Theatre Arts

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Campus: Stony Brook West Campus/HSC

Required Qualifications: MFA in Playwriting. Established professional career as a playwright. Minimum three years of successful college teaching.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience teaching courses in Play Analysis, Dramatic Literature and/or other forms of creative writing. Experience teaching at the graduate level.

Responsibilities & Requirements: The Assistant Professor will be responsible for the following:

  • Teach a 2-2 course load, 25% in English and/or Writing and Rhetoric.
  • Advise students and assist in developing internships.
  • Advise and serve as reader on Theses.
  • Participate in governance of department.
  • Maintain active professional work and affiliations.
Special Notes: This is a tenure track position. FLSA Exempt position, not eligible for the overtime provisions of the FLSA. Internal and external search to occur simultaneously. Anticipated Start Date: Fall 2013.

The selected candidate must successfully clear a background investigation.

Application Procedure: Those interested in this position should submit a S tate employment application, CV, three letters of reference, statement of teaching philosophy, copies of two representative plays (digital format accepted), reviews of produced works, and statement on approach to devising practice (Electronic submission in one PDF document is strongly preferred) to:

Laura Sisti
Department of Theatre Arts
Staller Center, Room 2224
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-5400

Job Category: A) Faculty and Librarian Positions.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Phone Karma


On December 31st I heard a clunk sound as I loaded my clothes into the washing machine. I looked in the pile of clothes and didn't see anything. Shrugging shoulders I turned the washer on and found out later that the clunk sound was my cell phone. My old Sprint phone is no longer in model. It's not a smart phone, it's tiny, simple thing that's a few generations behind all that is out right now. I have never washed my phone. Ever. Ever ever ever. And I looked in my clothes before closing the machine door and didn't see anything. R.I.P ol' faithful non-smart cell phone.

On January 1st 2013, my first stop is to the Sprint Phone store. I am there with many others as the doors are opening. I find the least expensive phone (as is my routine) and go to the counter to pay. As it turns I'm up for a new phone exactly at the start of 2013, which means this new phone will cost me $20.

I pay the money and I'm just happy to have a new gadget. But the Samsung phone is jamming only a few hours later, freezing up when trying to scroll, and having some delays. It's also clunky and bigger than the my old phone. Within a few hours the Samsung phone will just shut down. For no reason, the phone just stops working or refuses to start for short periods of time.

Last night I'm running errands and the Samsung is buzzing and jamming. I get into the car to drive away and its ringing.

"You are such a bad phone," I say aloud to no one in particular. On the other line is Sprint automated services. They want to know how I'm enjoying my Samsung. Ironic moment.  Two hours later the Samsung had a massive coronary and dies. First it jams, then it completely shuts off and refuses to turn back on.  And so Samsung left my life after only 24 hrs. So long, Samsung. You were not long for this world and my pockets.

The next day the store gives me an iPhone 4. At no additional costs. So this is my 3rd phone and it's January 3rd. I'll be sure not to curse this one out as apparently I have cell phone cursing powers.

This sticks out in my mind because I don't have a problem with cell phones. I get the most convenient one that I see, keep the frills to a minimum, and usually they last for at least 1-2 years while some have lasted longer. But something is shifting at the beginning of 2013. I'll take the upgrade and try to put it to good use.


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